Vampires Kiss
by Medorikoi
Summary: TAITO. A vampire digimon, Myotismon, is after Yamato. The plan is to kill him but what happens if Yamato is turned instead? Can Tai save him or will it be to late?
1. Unspoken love and the kidnapping

Disclaimer: I own nothing...but I can pretend! Warnings: Swearing, M/M Notes: Yes this is Taito! Also I tend to switch in between English and Japanese names so if you don't know them they are Yamato=Matt, Taichi=Tai, and Takeru=Tk.

Unspoken Love and Kidnapping

* * *

Myotismon clutched Demidevimons throat in his hand mercilessly. "You have one chance, tell me something of use or I will be rid of you once and for all." The voice was cold and otherworldly; it held an elegance all its own, part of being a vampire.  
  
"The leader!" The pathetic creature choked. "You have to kill the leader! Taichi!...Without him...they will fall apart and die!" The hand tightened its grip and the small winged creature turned an unnatural navy.  
  
"I am no fool! The boy is too protected. You have wasted your last chance." Myotismons voice lost its detached nature, colored with frustration and anger.  
  
"Wait! His soul mate! Kill...him." Demidevimon struggled for air he was on the edge of passing out. Myotismon smiled coldly and loosened his grip, instead placing a pointed claw on the creatures tender throat.  
  
"Explain, if its good enough I wont slit your throat and let you choke to death on your own vial blood." Elated for another chance to redeem his life in the eyes of his master the creature babbled on.  
  
"There are eight Digidestined, four couples. Soul mates, each soul incomplete without the other but able to live because the other exists. Now they each met their mate, their souls entwined, kill one and you kill them both! They don't even know about it, its in one of the temples you control master." The razor sharp claw disappeared from Demidevimons throat leaving a thin line of crimson trailing down the small body.  
  
"Which one is it?"  
  
"Friendship. The boy, Yamato."

* * *

Two weeks, the longest span of time Yamato and Taichi had not been together sense they fell into the Digiworld months ago and not hours after reuniting Taichi sends him away. It's another week before the group is together again and now Tai is blatantly avoiding anything to do with Yamato.  
  
It was nearly dark when Tai asked for someone to help him gather firewood, and Yamato, not one to let his chance slip away from him, dragged him into the forest, not bothering to voice his willingness to go like the others had but instead ignored the voices of protest that came from both Taichi and the group. As soon as they were out of earshot of the small camp and no chance remained of someone stumbling upon them Yamato stopped in his tracks and began to talk.  
  
"Tai what is up with you, why won't you talk to me?" Matt did not bother to collect firewood; instead he spun Tai around by the shoulders so he could stare into the deep brown eyes that were always so full of life. He was expecting many things in response but the look of anger and hurt on Taichis face was not one of them.  
  
"What would you care!" Tai yelled, his face turning a brilliant red. "You didn't even want to find me!" He saw the look of shock and confusion on Matts face so he continued. "TK told me you wanted to stop looking for me!"  
  
"I didn't stop looking for you! I didn't want us to split up to look for you! I wanted there to be a group for you to come back to!"  
  
"Liar! Takeru was in fucking tears telling me!" Tai screamed. Before Matt could reply Taichi sent a fist into the other boys stomach, the force of it sending them both hurtling to the ground.  
  
"He misunderstood! Unlike you who willingly split us up again! That was a real ass thing to do! Splitting us up because of some misled idea you didn't even bother to confirm with me! You put the entire group at risk! You're a horrible leader Tai!" Matt rolled on top of Tai and punched him square in the face as he screamed.  
  
Yamato hit a nerve, fire went off in Taichis eyes and he threw the blonde off of him. The two rolled until with a final flip Tai sent Yamato spiraling down a ditch with Tai on top of him. Satisfied that Matt had stopped fighting him Tai spoke again.  
  
"We found everyone because we spilt up! I'd like to see you try to be the leader! At least then I could celebrate your failure instead of the other way around!" Tai screamed in Yamatos face. He expected the blonde to yell back at him but it didn't come. Yamatos eyes were scrunched up with pain and his face was a sickly white color.  
  
"The only thing I though about for weeks was you. We didn't even know if you were alive or not. Then you come back and hate me, why don't you rub it in my face a little more?" His voice was strained, tinged with pain and sorrow instead of the heated defensive tone from just a moment before.  
  
"Yama?" Tai asked softly, as if the very sound could cause the boy beneath him more pain.  
  
Crystal blue eyes, like the ocean on a stormy night blinked open. "Just leave me alone, go back to your precious Sora."  
  
Tai rolled off Matt but maid no move to leave him. "Yama, are you hurt? Can you walk? Where does it hurt?" Tai asked more than a little frightened when the blonde made no move to get up. Then he saw it, Matts ankle had landed on a large rock and blood was seeping through his pants.  
  
Tentatively Tai touched the offending ankle and watched as Matt hissed in pain. "Tai that hurts!" Yamato ground out, pain dripping off his words.  
  
"God Yama I'm sorry." Tai lifted the other boy into a sitting position. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt." Matt laughed coldly.  
  
"Not physically at any rate." Tai winced but didn't take the bait.  
  
"Joe will have to take care of this."  
  
"Great plan, oh wait Joe is back at camp and I am stuck here." Yamato said, rather proud that not once through the encounter had he shed a single tear on Tais account.  
  
"Could you shut up for a minute!" Tai bent over and looped an arm under Matts knees and wrapped the other behind the blondes back.  
  
"What the hell!"  
  
"I'm going to carry you back." With that Matt was lifted into the air. Out of shock he wrapped his own slender arms around Taichis neck and pressed himself closer to the warm chest.  
  
"Put me down tai!"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Now!"  
  
"OK!" Taichi squatted quickly allowing Matt the illusion of free fall. Yamato yelped and buried his face in Tais neck. Tai giggled happily as he began walking back to camp. "We have enough firewood anyway."  
  
Yamato didn't move his face from Taichis neck. He liked the smell that was uniquely Taichi and the feel of Tais heartbeat against his cheek. While Tai was missing Matt had a long time to dwell on exactly how he felt for his best friend. He had not missed him like you should a friend, Tai haunted his dreams, he was there when he closed his eyes, even when he played his harmonica. He had missed the cute grin Taichi always has plastered on his face while asleep, the fire in those chocolate brown eyes so unlike his own, the unruly brown mop that Tai called hair, but most of all he missed cheerful personality he had fallen in love with. The ultimate irony, Ishida Yamato, the boy that every girl desired in love with a boy. The lone wolf in love with the light of the party. He was in love with someone who could never love him back and to some degree he accepted this. So without further argument on his part Matt accepted the comfort Taichi so willingly offered him.  
  
When they got back to camp Matt was nearly asleep in Tais arms so when Joe wanted to examine the injured ankle Tai sat against a tree and propped the half conscious boy up against his chest.  
  
"Is he alright?" Tai asked quietly so as not to disturb the blonde. But it was no use, the moment Joe touched the bloodied wound sapphire eyes flew open. "Shh, its alright Yama." Tai cooed in his friends ear. "On the bright side the girls and TK are asleep so you wont be smothered to death."  
  
Through the pain Matt silently celebrated that the others were asleep. He loved Tk, but it would be no use having him worry. As for the girls, there is only so much mothering you can take, besides he didn't really want to see his rival in love, despite his failing odds. Matt groaned as Joe prodded a particularly painful spot.  
  
"Just a little longer Yama." Taichis arm tightened around his waist as the other caressed a pallid cheek. Matt decided that getting hurt really wasn't as bad as people made it out to be, especially with Taichis breath tickling his neck like that.  
  
"Your lucky Matt, its not broken but it is sprained and badly bruised. You may not be able to walk unaided for a long time." Joe said in his doctor tone of voice.  
  
"Can't you do anything for him?" Tai asked sadly.  
  
"I wrapped it up but there is nothing else to do, I would rest though." Taichi nodded and brushed the hair from Yamatos face.  
  
"Yama? Are you still awake?" A soft grunt was his only reply. Tai smiled and lay Matt down on the soft grass next to him. After looking around camp to see if anyone was watching he lowered himself onto the ground next to Matt and wrapped his arms around the boys waist. "I'll take care of you." Tai whispered before falling asleep. He missed the happy smile that graced the blondes elegant face as he too fell asleep.  
  
The next day Taichi woke before the others and grudgingly untangled himself from Yamato. They would have to keep moving and find a better place to stop for a few days, this camp was far too open; an evil digimon could spot them with ridiculous ease. Tai groaned when his thoughts drifted to Yamato. Last night he had been sedated, the injury depriving him of his energy, now that he had that energy back he was bound to be pissed. Tai didn't need a reminder of this, his gut twisted painfully as he thought of how much pain he had put Yamato through.  
  
Never had Tai thought his actions could hurt the other boy so deeply. Then just because Yamato had expressed what he felt, the amazingly cold hearted, frozen to the world Yamato Ishida had actually shown emotion to him and Taichi had thrown it back into his face. Not only that but now Yamato had a physical reminder to rub it in every time he tried to move his foot.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
"Taichi?" Takerus sleepy voice broke Tai from his thoughts.  
  
"Oh, hi Tk. I didn't wake you up did I?" Taichi cursed himself for forgetting that the others were there. Takeru shook his head no but came over to stare intently at Taichis face in a way so uninhibited that only a child could do it.  
  
"Your worried about my brother aren't you?" Tk asked in a knowing way.  
  
"Ya, I'm mean he is fine now but..." Tai drifted off unable to speak the words, as if he didn't say them than it wouldn't be true.  
  
"Your afraid he'll hate you?" Takeru smiled at the shocked look he got. "When I was younger Matt and I use to fight a lot, like mom and dad. I thought he hated me and I cried but then one day he told me." Tk put on a stern face that was suppose to be Yama and adopted a voice slightly deeper than his own "He said 'no matter what happens I could never hate you because I love you so much. You can't hate people you care about, you just get mad for a little while." He smiled proudly at his impression and continued. "My Onii-chan cares about you a lot Taichi, he was so sad when you sent us away." Now tears filled his blue eyes and his voice wavered and threatened to break. "You still want us around don't you Taichi? Please don't send us away again!" Now tears flooded down his cheeks and Tai instantly dropped to his knees pulling Tk into a hug.  
  
"Of course I want you guys around! Your part of my Digidestined family!" Tai smiled as he stood up, still dazed from all the new information swirling around his brain but Tk seemed satisfied and the tears disappeared instantly. He meant as if to walk away but Tais voice stopped him. "Hey Tk...was Yama really upset when we split up again?"  
  
The younger boy nodded sadly. "He didn't talk much and when he did it was about how you must have hated him. You have to talk to him Taichi, I love my Onii-chan but he doesn't make friends easily like you do." Tai only nodded and forced a smile on his face as Tk went to go wake the others.  
  
'He cares! He cares and I hurt him.' Tai thought sadly, looking down at the slight form of Matt, still sleeping peacefully. With a sigh Taichi decided that he did have to talk to Yamato and that he would rather wake him personally than have him wake from the noise the others were bound to make as the woke.  
  
"Yama." Tai said softly, shaking the blondes shoulder.  
  
"Tai?" Matts voice was sleepy and mercifully void of anger and pain. His ocean blue eyes blinked open slowly as the sunlight filtered through the leaves to dance playfully on the ivory skin, making Matt look like he was glowing. In those first few seconds Yamato didn't have his impartial mask on, Tai could see the warmth and love those sapphire eyes truly held.  
  
Taichi almost gasped at how beautiful the sight before him was. The instant Matt opened his eyes Tai decided that it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen and knew that any other person he met for the rest of his life would pale in comparison.  
  
"Its time to get up Yama. We are going to eat soon." The others had already built the fire back up and began cooking. Matt nodded and tried to pull himself into a sitting position but he fell back to the ground with a groan. His whole body ached, and he had a sneaking suspicion that his back was covered in black and red bruises. Tai put a hand on his chest to stop any further moves to get up. "Just rest like this for awhile, I'll bring you your food once it's done."  
  
Tai came back a moment later with a bowl of something in his hands, at least it smelled edible. Without a word he put down the dish and dropped to his knees. He bent over Yama and wrapped his arms around the other boys chest, bringing their faces inches apart. Once Tai had Matt sitting up he realized that he had nothing close by to lean him against. Before Matt had time to protest Taichi had lifted the ailing blonde to sit sideways in his lap, one of Tais arms wrapped around the slender waist to hold him there.  
  
"Tai I can sit on my own, I have a sprained ankle not a broken neck!" Matt growled, a blush painting his delicate cheeks. It was now the girls decided to come over.  
  
"Oh Yamato are you hurt? Can I get anything for you?" Sora flipped into mother hen mode and began asking over and over if there was anything he needed. Mimi on the other hand insisted loudly that Matt was going to die.  
  
Yamato winced and repressed the urge to bury his face in Taichis neck and escape all the jabbering. Just as Matt squashed the idea he felt Tai pull him into the curve of his neck, his hand moving softly over the blonde locks.  
  
"He got banged up the other day, it's just a sprained ankle but he woke up with a headache too." Taichi whispered. As soon as he did Sora stopped talking and pulled Mimi back to the fire with her. Tai stopped petting the golden hair and Matt looked back up at him.  
  
"You lied to them." Matt accused.  
  
Tai grinned. "Any more of that and you would have had a headache anyway."  
  
Matt couldn't help but smile a little as well. "Thanks."  
  
"Anytime!" Taichi had somehow gotten the bowl back in his position and placed it on Yamatos lap, as his own was still occupied. He quickly scooped some of the mush up and held it to Yamatos lips.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Feeding you!"  
  
"I don't need help feeding myself Tai!" Matt made a grab for the spoon but Tai dodged it.  
  
"I know, but I thought I would help anyway. Unless of course you would rather I leave and have the girls come back." Tai grinned as he watched his friends eyes widen. "Open up!"  
  
Matt turned a deep crimson and opened his mouth slightly, just enough for Tai not to miss and have it go everywhere but where its suppose to. He tried to swallow it but it hurt to breath and swallowing was much more difficult. He broke out into a coughing fit that had Tai worriedly patting his back and whispering nonsense in his ear.  
  
Finally the coughs subsided and Tai put down the bowl. Matt was happy to see it go until Tais newly freed hand lifted up his shirt.  
  
"Tai what the hell..." But he was cut of as Tai cautiously poked one of his ribs and a yelp escaped his throat instead of the rest of his question. His shirt was put back down and he found himself looking into two worried chocolate brown eyes.  
  
"You bruised your ribs too, I think one of them is cracked but there isn't much we can do about that."  
  
"At least I don't have to eat any more of that stuff." He saw the look on Tais face and continued. "If you even try to make me I will spit it all over you."  
  
"Fine" Tai growled and surveyed the rest of the group, all of which had finished eating. "Pack up! We are leaving now." He addressed the whole group this time and got many groans in return.  
  
"Considerate as always huh Tai?" Yamato mocked, still painfully aware of his position.  
  
"You can't handle it?"  
  
"Of course I can! Its just cruel of you to do this to me when it's your fault in the first place!"  
  
"Fine! Than I'll carry you and we wont have to worry about it!" Tai didn't feel the need to inform Matt that they were just in search of shelter for him. Luckily by the time Tai had picked up the blonde and cradled him in his arms the rest of the group was ready to go.  
  
They walked for an hour in relative silence. Yamato, too embarrassed from being carried to talk and too afraid he wont be able to walk on his own to complain. Taichi was still overwhelmed by how light the boy in his arms was. It felt as though anything more than a slight breeze could sweep Matt from his arms and carry him away on the breath of the wind.  
  
The group was now walking through a very open clearing that Taichi was eager to get them passed, but he felt something that made him stop.  
  
"Tai?" Matt asked from his arms.  
  
"Something is coming." He whispered franticly. This time he yelled out what he had to say. "Augumon digivolve!" Lights surrounded Tais digimon partner but he didn't have time to watch. Tai was running full out to a large boulder, Yamato crushed to his chest. Behind them the rest of the digimon digivolved but Taichi was busy putting the blonde down behind the boulder to notice.  
  
"Tai what the hell?" Yamato was already pulling himself up, using the rock to support his weight but he was pulled down and his arms were pinned to the ground, Tai practically in his lap.  
  
"You have to stay here!" A huge explosion shook the earth. "You can't run and I can't be stupid if I'm holding you!"  
  
"What are you talking about? Your always stupid, take me back!"  
  
"Crest of courage Matt! To make it work I have to do something courageous but I will not have you hurt in the process! Don't worry I'll watch over Tk!" Tai pulled Matt into a desperate hug and then he was gone.  
  
Tai ran to the battle and found Sora at his side in an instant.  
  
"Every time we kill one another one shows up!" She screamed over the roar of battle. Tai was just about to run to Greymons side when a cold laughter pierced the sounds of the fighting until all he could hear was the laugh and the scream of horror that was heart breakingly familiar.  
  
"YAMA!"  
  
The sky overhead had clouded over casting a dark shadow all around them. The menacing form of Myotismon hovered just above the rock Tai had just left and in his hand was Yamato.  
  
The laughter stopped and the vampire digimon spoke. "That was far easier than even I expected. The child of friendship is now mine." Another humorless laugh filled the air. "For being the child of friendship you don't seem to have many friends, leaving you unprotected like that." Myotismon brought Matt up so they were eye level. "Such a pretty thing, maybe I wont kill you after all." Yamato spit right in his face, but the digimon just laughed again. "And spirit, all the more fun to break."  
  
"Leave him alone!" Tai screamed from the ground. "Don't you dare touch him or I will make you pay!" He was now running toward the duo even though they were helplessly out of reach.  
  
The vampire ran a slender finger down Matts face and into the curve of his neck. "Yes, I should very much like to keep you." No one moved as Myotismon drew the boy closer to him, Yamatos pale neck exposed and inches away from razor sharp fangs. Matt screamed and punched for all he was worth but the larger digimon held him in place with ease.  
  
"NO!" Taichi screamed in agony, tears flooding down his face as Myotismon delicately bit Yamatos neck. The blonde froze, all attempts to escape stopped and his limbs went limp, a light moan escaping his lips, unheard through Taichis scream.  
  
After the longest moment of Taichis life Myotismon drew back, blood covering his fangs. He wrapped one arm around the limp boy in his arms watching with glee as he flopped like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.  
  
"Farewell Digidestined, I doubt we will have the good fortune to meet again." Then in a whirl of bats and ill colored clouds they were gone.  
  
"NO!" Taichi screamed banging on the boulder in front of him ruthlessly. "NO! No, no, no." His voice grew softer as he slipped to the ground. He couldn't get up; it felt as though he had taken a cannon ball in the chest. Maybe, he thought sadly, if he listened hard enough he would be able to hear his hear breaking into a thousand little slivers.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Review anyway! I will love you forever! I need to know what people think of it. Besides if people like this one I might put up the 10 other already done digimon fics I have lying around. Press the pretty blue button below and good things will happen! 


	2. When Darkness Falls

NOTES Hi! Just a quick note before we start. Checked out the question mark thing, it's not like that on the original copy so I'm going to reload it and hope it works. Thanks for telling me (I'm so clueless sometimes) Also after reading one of the reviews I have deemed it necessary to point out the obvious. Yes they are older than normal because this is romance. Artistic licenses were taken and abused with the vampire and Tai and Yama are destined to be together (the creaters had them both shot together and always put them together not me) Thank you for reviewing I love you all and as soon as my other stories are up I'll write a note here.

Disclaimer I own nothing except this pillow with a picture of Yama on it!

Warnings: Mentions of M/M, abuse, cutting and suicide. Oh yes and swearing.

When Darkness Falls

* * *

Everything was silent, the evil digimon had gone with their master leaving nothing to distract the remaining Digidestined. As the shock and horror faded soft sobs broke the unnatural silence. Tk screamed out for his brother and ran to Taichi were he fell and cried on the older boys shoulder begging for his brother to be returned to him. Tais entire frame shook with heaving sobs, he barely managed to wrap a comforting arm around Takeru in a meager attempt at comfort.  
  
"Tai...? Sora started softly in such a way that everyone knew what was coming, motherly comforting, talk of how everything would be fine, but Tai couldn't handle that. If she said it, actually put into words that Yamato was gone, than it would be true. If no one said it he could pretend for just a little longer that it was no big deal and that any time now Yamato would return to them. If she spoke there was actually a chance that Tai would never see again see Yama, never tell him he was sorry, never tell him everything he had ever wished to tell the earth bound angel but never had the courage to. No, Sora could not talk; there was no time to indulge the girls mothering tendencies when all he had to do was go retrieve his Matt.  
  
"Alright! Lets go save Yama!" Tai jumped up, hand thrown up in the air like they had already won. "Izzy! Can you find the location of Myotismons base?" Tais voice held such charge, such determination that most of the group was enveloped by an overwhelming feeling that everything would be all right.  
  
"Give me a minute! Maybe if I...? Izzy rambled off excitedly as he flipped on his laptop.  
  
"Tai." Sora spoke again just as soft as before but infinitely more determined. "You saw what happened, we don't even know if he is still..."  
  
"NO!" Taichis eyes flashed and his words came out more like a roar than anything. "If he were dead I would know! I just would!" His wide chocolate eyes glittered with unshed tears as he advanced menacingly on the girl. "Yama is not dead and don't you dare even say that! We will not give up!" Sora backed away; frightened by the display, never had Taichi acted this way in all the time they had known each other. The brunette turned on his heals and picked Takeru from the ground from where he had fallen and refused to get up.  
  
"My Onii-chan is going to be ok right Tai?" Takeru sniffed a little as he spoke but the tears had vanished as he watched Taichis speech in awe.  
  
"Of course!" Tai replayed with a confident grin. "We are going to get him back and it will be just like old times! But until then you don't have to worry because Yama can watch himself and I will watch over you!" Tk grinned and hugged Taichi around the neck. 'I promised I would watch over him for you Yama and I will. I will protect you too all you have to do is hold on just a little longer, I will save you Yama.'  
  
Takeru still in his arms Taichi stalked over to Izzy, glaring venomously at Sora as he walked past, daring her to even mention Matt. Sensing someone behind him Izzy started to talk, his eyes never leaving the screen.  
  
"I did a few searches but came up with nothing. Right now I?m establishing a direct connection with Genni...Got it! He is sending me the coordinates, the castle is pretty far away but we can make it." Tai nodded.  
  
"Great! Lets go everyone!" Taichi put Takeru deftly on the ground and walked to the front of the group. "To Yama!"  
  
The group walked for hours without stopping, Taichi checking his compass every few minutes, nervous to walk even slightly off course for any length of time. Everyone was growing tired but didn't have the heart to ask their nearly frantic leader to stop, even Mimi who is always first to complain kept her mouth shut, a determined look on her face.  
  
"Taichi we need to stop." Soras voice broke the tense silence that surrounded them. Taichi spun around to face her, eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"We have to keep going! It's a long trip and we can?t waste time on breaks! He needs us!"  
  
"I know all this Taichi but you have to think about those of us that are still here! Look at poor Tk, he is struggling to keep up!" Sora was more than slightly annoyed with Tais behavior and decided that it was up to her to stand up for the needs of the group. Instead of giving in or even yelling as she expected silently Taichi walked around her to where Takeru was sitting with Patamon.  
  
"I?m sorry Tk, I didn't realize you still have shorter legs than the rest of us!" But Takeru was determined; he even smiled up at the brunette.  
  
"No, I want to keep going! For my Onii-chan!" Tai nodded and picked up the smaller child.  
  
"We are going to keep moving! I know about Tk but does anyone else need help?" He ignored the glares he was getting from Sora and watched the rest of the group for any signs of weakness.  
  
"We can do this!" Izzy said, stepping forward so that the whole group could see him. The others all nodded in agreement, minus the infuriated Sora.  
  
"We'll follow you Taichi!" Mimi added in one of her rare moments of enthusiasm for work. "I know Yamato would do the same for any of us!"  
  
Tai looked down as he felt a tug on the hem of his shirt. Augumon was staring up at him now, a smile on his face and his eyes filled with pride and admiration for his human partner. "Lets go get him!"  
  
"Right!" Once again they set off. It was hours later, when the sun had finally fallen behind the trees and sounds of stumbling followed Tai instead of the steady padding of feet, that they stopped.  
  
Everyone fell asleep right after dinner with promises to get up early the next morning. Only Tai lay restless, thoughts of Yamato haunting him.  
  
'This is all my fault. If I had done even one thing differently Yamato would still be here with us, safe and happy. No he wouldn't be happy, how could he be when he is afraid I will send him away on a whim. I am such a fool, I should have asked him what had happened when I disappeared instead of assuming Takeru had gotten everything clearly in the state he was in, crying for his big brother.' A slight breeze swept through the camp but it did nothing to pacify the panicked heat that radiated from Taichi. As a feeling of helplessness washed over him Taichi tore the gloves from his hands in a hope that some of the heat would dissipate.  
  
'I never should have sent him away, never should have been so cold to him. Then we never would have fought and in battle he would have been at my side where he belongs, where I can protect him. Hell I never should have left him all alone and completely defenseless like that, Gabumon barely even had a chance to digivolve a that point.' Tears welled in his sleepless eyes and he tried to blink them away only to have them spill down his cheeks. 'I let him down.' His hands balled into fists, self-hatred pulsing through him. He didn't even notice that his fingernails dug into the sensitive flesh of his palms creating little crescent moons of crimson.  
  
The thoughts and images that he had tried so hard to avoid during the day now flooded his mind, each one more painful than the last. 'I let my own feelings get in the way of doing what was right for the group, I am a horrible leader, Yama was right all along. I sent him away on purpose, I didn't want to see him, could deal with him there. It had hurt too much, every time I saw him I thought of how I could never have him, how he didn't even want to look for me. I know now that he did look for me but at the time...it hurt more than if any of the others had given up because it was him, it was my Yama.'  
  
Ever sense the first time the group had broken up and Yamato ended up crying in his arms Tai had been enraptured. Something about the blonde just made Taichi want to be around him always. Just seeing Yamato in pain tore at his soul. He thought that maybe if Yamato was not there that the pain of betrayal would leave him too, instead he found that every waking moment was consumed by thoughts of the blue-eyed beauty. In his heart Tai had always loved Matt but it took that time apart for him to tell what it really was. What he felt was not the love of a friend or a brother, he loved Yamato with every fiber of his being and simply could not live without him. Even after all that he couldn't find the courage to tell Yamato how he felt, and now he may never get the chance.  
  
His stomach twisted angrily and threatened to dispel its contents, which was very little sense he had barely eaten sense Matts kidnapping. Tai clamped his mouth shut, forcing the bile back down his throat as his bloodied hands fell to his stomach.  
  
'No! I will find him and he will be fine so everything can go back to normal!' He told himself desperately but his body didn't listen. Tears still glistening in his deep chocolate eyes he curled up into a ball, content to deal with the pain because it was what he disserved. But the guilt and anxious pain that had him clutching his knees to his chest was nothing in comparison to the pain he felt in his heart. It was a constant throbbing pain that sapped him of his energy and sent visions of Yamato in front of his eyes. For some strange reason it comforted him, it told him that Matt was still alive. A final image of stormy blue eyes and golden hair comforted him as he passed out with a soft "I love you" on his lips that was whisked away by the nighttime breeze.

* * *

Yamato woke up in stages, noticing everything slowly. First was the pain that came with each shallow breath as his ribs screamed in agony. Next was the sharper searing pain that shot up his leg and into his spine as he tried to move his ankle. Yamato opened his eyes slightly, just enough for the unforgiving light to make them tear before he could shut them again. Unable to move or look around without suffering he next noticed the plush bed beneath him with a layer of soft velvet covering it. The thing is that in the digital world such luxuries are nearly non- existent. Images of battle flashed behind his closed eyes, Taichi leaving him all alone and then cold unyielding arms surrounding him, razor sharp fangs and a cold humorless laugh of the damned.  
  
His hands flew to his neck, fruitlessly trying to protect his fragile throat but it was too late. Two crimson holes decorated the flawless skin.  
  
"No!" Matt yelled hopelessly, sitting up and instantly regretting it as pain shot through his lithe frame.  
  
"Your not a vampire if that's what you?re thinking, or dead for that matter." It was a female voice at the end of the bed, one that commanded attention and power without effort.  
  
Yamatos eyes blinked open to find a small cat-like digimon, no bigger than Gabumon. Determined to force his eyes open he examined the rest of the room. The bed was covered in a deep crimson fabric; the color dominated the room, and heavy velvet curtains hung over the windows letting a single stream of light fall onto the head of the bed.  
  
"Why am I here?" His voice was strong and his face set. Suddenly Matt was glad for the life that had forced him to hide behind a stoic mask, now the mask was so perfect that the fear the tore at his heart was hidden by a façade of courage he wish he felt.  
  
"Because of what you are." The creature hopped up onto the bed effortlessly as she spoke.  
  
"There are other Digidestined, I am..." Yamato had everything he was going to say planned out like he always did but was forced to stop as the creature spoke again.  
  
"You are special. Not because you are a Digidestined but because you are different from the rest of the human children."  
  
"Where are they? What have you done to them?" He shouted before he could stop himself. In the following silence he cursed himself for showing weakness so easily but he couldn't help it, if they had even touched Taichi...  
  
"We did nothing to them. We took what we wanted, you, and then left. Without a lot of trouble on their part either."  
  
"Why? What am I to you?" The mask was back in place, as uncaring as ever but he couldn't help the slightly inquisitive tone in his voice.  
  
"Like I have said before, you are special. You bearer of friendship, have been chosen by Lord Myotismon for your dark heart." The digimon smiled as she walked forward, the smile held no humor, no happiness, it was a smile borne of a sadistic joy because she knew some ill fated piece of information that Matt did not. "Where are you friends bearer of friendship?"  
  
"Looking for me!" The precious mask stayed in place this time but his eyes he could not control. His stormy blue eyes flashed dangerously at the creature, she had hit a nerve.  
  
"Such an optimistic child, Maybe your right, maybe the child of love will not sway the leader, maybe she does not see you as in her way to get to the boy. In a perfect world maybe the holder of courage will forget you didn't want to look for him."  
  
"No, you?re making this up! You have no idea what is going on with them!" This time his voice wavered. Yamato was absolutely terrified now, all of it fit so well, how could she make all of that up? Taichi didn't believe him about wanting to look for him, that's why he had just been abandoned during battle, not shunned, Taichi would never do that, but not helping him. Sora, the name in its self is enough to make Yamato want to hurl. She tries so hard to be nice to everyone but how could she be when she is so jealous of Yamato always being with Taichi. Or of them use to always being together. With him gone she could finally have Taichi all to herself, no stupid 'best friend' to get in the way. No, he had to hope that they would come, that the digimon was lying to him. Besides Takeru still needed him, Tk was young and needed his Onii-chan.  
  
"I stayed after the battle. It only took a minute for all of this to show up. Don't worry about the little one either, Takeru, he dubbed the leader his new 'Onii-chan'. Think what you will but Lord Myotismon wants to see now that you are awake."  
  
Tk had told him about Tai being his temporary big brother when they had been separated, only fitting that they do it now on a more permanent basis. Takeru had always looked up to Taichi and himself; everything the digimon said made perfect sense. The cat-digimon left the room, the door swinging shut behind her. Finally he was alone.  
  
Tears stung the back of his eyes, threatening to tumble down his elegant face. With a soft sob he let himself fall back into the pillows, which quickly enveloped him. He tried to think logically, tried not to let the digimons words affect him. Sora would probably spend more time attaching herself to Taichi than looking but would she actually stop the others from doing so? It was very possible that she would try, but to have it work...then there was Taichi himself, more than likely he thought Yamato had stopped the search for him. He had already sent Matt away once; why not let someone else do it for him? The first tear slipped softly down his pallid face leaving a salty watermark in its wake. Takeru, he is so young and naïve with basic concepts a person should have escaping him because of his abnormal childhood. It wouldn't be hard for Tk to simply take on Taichi as a brother. Besides, Yamato thought with another tear escaping his ocean blue eyes, he will be better off with a role model like Tai, someone who isn't so fucked up.  
  
For the first time sense coming to the digital world Yamato willingly let the darkness seep into his heart. Before this adventure he had never been happy. His whole life was filled with fighting and screaming. Threats of suicide by those he held as role models, frantic nights ducking as everything not welded to the floor was thrown at him, and days spent hiding in his closet because the alcohol had flown a bit too freely and his already bruised body could take no more abuse.  
  
At some point his optimism had left him and the void had been filled with darkness. Time once spent thinking about happier times was consumed by thought of death and of his precious shard of glass and the blood and release that came in the darkness of his room. The only reason he had not just killed himself was Takeru, his brother held onto the sweet naiveté of childhood, blissfully unaware of what all the screaming meant and only knew that after the screaming and some crying on his part his Onii-chan would hunt through the empty refrigerator and give him some ice cream that Matt always bought with his school lunch money.  
  
The moment Yamato had come into the digital world and was welcomed with open arms by a digimon who inherently loved him and a leader who immediately adopted him as a best friend, all of the darkness melted away, his entire life seemed so far away that it was almost as if he had watched it indifferently on TV rather than lived it himself. But even with the sorrow gone the scars remained, easily aggravated and threatened constantly to once more plunge him into darkness. Now the darkness had once again taken over but this time one thing was different, the thing that kept him alive, Takeru needing him, was no longer there.  
  
"Gatomon how did it go?" A cold otherworldly voice asked the moment the heavy wooden door shut behind the cat digimon.  
  
"He is already doubting my lord. He will be easily swayed...but why do you not just kill him? I can do it now, be rid of the Digidestined once and for all, just one swipe of my claws and..."  
  
"No! He is not to be harmed; I am the only one that is allowed to decide such a thing. I'm disappointed Gatomon, you think of only the immediate future. Yes, I could kill him and the rest of them but more will come in their place. One group fails, dies, and another is sent in their place. But...? In the blink of an eye Myotismon had found a book and opened it to yellowing pages describing the Digidestined. "They must all fail for this to happen, if I keep one with me, forever, no more will follow because he remains." His long fingers caressed the symbols decorating the pages.  
  
"I did not know my lord. He will not be harmed." Gatomon bowed lowly but seeing that her master was lost in thought dared to ask another question. "Why do you wait to turn him Master?"  
  
"These things take a certain elegance that you seem to be lacking tonight Gatomon." His soulless blue eyes stared down at the smaller digimon accusingly. "Very few creatures have what is required to become a vampire. A pained heart to turn them, beauty and grace to survive...the boy has all of these things and as a vampire they will flourish and grow beyond his wildest dreams. But he must be ready when I do it, if not he may reject the process and die leaving me with nothing." The harshness left his eyes only to be replaced by a glazed far off look that did nothing to ease the fear he inflicted with them. "Not in an age have I seen one of my own kind. To have him to train and converse with in a way only immortals can will be invaluable to me. He will turn, and he will be mine." 

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Thank you everyone who reviewed! You all ROCK! Remember reviewing is your friend! Besides Yamato wants you to! (Forces Yama to do puppy dog eyes) 


	3. Blood Lust

Disclaimer: I own nothing...sobs hysterically Warnings: mentions of cutting, and talk of blood. A/N: I like this chapter the most but there isn?t a lot of the boys together so next chapter there should be tons! This is for everyone how reviewed, I love you guys! You ROCK! Also to the anonymous person who seems to seriously dislike me, I could respond but I hate leaving long notes so would you like my screen name? Honestly it sounds like your up for a good debate anyway. (Anybody can IM me (please)!) Im lonely and love to talk to people about digimon!) thanks again and ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!!!!!

* * *

Blood Lust

* * *

The heavy wooden door swung open, its hinges screaming in protest. The sound jolted Yamato from his darkening thoughts and he gazed at the empty doorway. He would have laughed at how cliché the entire thing was but even the darkest humor had left him. Whatever lay beyond he was suppose to find, deliberately put their by his captors. Matt hated consciously doing what his enemy desired of him but he could not risk any more time lost in his thoughts, so dark they were now that they threatened to consume him.  
  
Yamato pulled himself to the foot of the bed and cautiously tested his wounded ankle on the unforgiving stone floor. It hurt but it was conceivable that he may be able to stand on it. Soon Yamato stood on his good foot, the other hovering a few inches from the floor. No use standing there doing nothing, he took a deep calming breath and stepped forward. The ground rushed up to meet him and Yamato found himself in a ball on the freezing stones, a string of obscenities escaping his lips.  
  
Every part of him hurt more than when he had first woken, maybe it was his depressing thoughts that amplified the pain or he was simply growing worse by the moment, either way he couldn't dwell on it long. The moment he had stopped moving and had no task to focus on thoughts of his little Takeru who does not need him and Taichi who does not want him flooded his mind. No, he could not stop to think like that, not when the next thought was how to end the pain, end the long chain of horror that was his life and where to find the sweet release that only comes with the sharp edge of a blade in his hands. Too long had he been engulfed by such thoughts, to let it happen again would be the end of him, there would be no surviving it again. Then again, wasn't that what he wanted anyway?  
  
Matt pulled himself up and limped across the room, clutching to the heavy wooden furniture for the support his too-slight frame could not give. Finally he reached the door where he leaned heavily upon the frame, glancing out into the newly found room. Again the deep crimson color dominated the space, a color so like blood that if Yamato were to give into his desires and release his own lifes essence from his pale wrists that the droplets of blood would disappear among the fabric. Large bookshelves covered the walls, filled with ancient texts of many languages from what Matt could see of the faded writing on the bindings. A single plush chair of the same material as his elaborate bed sat in the center of the room. All of these things were secondary to the creature that stood facing the door.  
  
"Please, sit." Myotismon said distractedly as he flipped through the yellowed pages of the book he held. Yamato did not move, there was no way he was going to make anything easy on his captors, even if he wanted to sit he didn't know if he could make it across the room.  
  
"I said sit." In the blink of an eye and a flutter of wind Yamato found himself staring up at the creature from his place in the chair. Myotismon had put the book down and now stood in front of the golden haired boy.  
  
Matt fought back the look of sock trying to show itself on his elegant features. "How did you do that?" Never had he seen digimon move that fast, or rather, not seen.  
  
"It is part of the gift. The gift I am willing to share with you." Myotismons voice held no emotion, just its usual air of snobbish superiority, agonizingly similar to an adult explaining something as simple as one plus one to a child.  
  
"I don't want anything from you!" Yamato spit out as if the very words left a foul taste in his mouth. He may have fallen prey to their mind tricks but he would still not do anything that may hurt those he loved in the long run.  
  
"So much spirit, but don't be a fool. You do not know the magnitude of what I am offering you. I can give you everything you have ever desired..."  
  
"Don't pretend to know what I want, you don't know me! Even if you did know I would not take anything from you! Anything you do is for you, don't try to fool me into thinking you are some bleeding heart! You're a monster!" He wished desperately to stand, sitting like this made him feel weak, but the sad truth of the matter is that he is weak, too weak even to stand.  
  
"Ah, but I do know you. You are Yamato, the child of friendship, and brother of hope. Ironic, that the child of hope has already taken another as his brother and that your 'friends' were willing to abandon you. You are the loner that never actually fit in the group but liked to pretend that you did. But no, you are tainted, dark."  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
"You want death but are too afraid to take it, want to be rid of your pain and the emotions that cause it."  
  
"Leave me alone!" Yamato covered his ears with his hands and looked down at his lap, fully aware that he could still hear ever word spoken to him.  
  
"Why not give in to me when I can make all your dreams come true?" Myotismon placed a hand on Yamatos shaking shoulder. "You still doubt what I said of your friends."  
  
"They would not leave me" His voice was hoarse and silent tears slid down his cheeks.  
  
"If what I said is true will you join me?" Matt nodded mutely, barely moving at all. Myotismon picked up the boy easily and walked to one of the adjoining rooms. This room was small and dark; the only thing that Yamato could make out was a large stone tablet in the center that came up to his waist. He was placed on his feet and managed to stay standing using the stone as a crutch. In a flash, a deep blue fog that Yamato could neither feel nor smell surrounded the stone. The fog twisted and molded until the image of his friends appeared before him.

* * *

Takeru had taken to walking once more, determined not to slow down the group in their quest to find Yamato. Slowly he and Patamon fell to the back of the group, his short legs had to do twice the work of some of the older digidestined and it was taking its toll on more than his physical state. Finally the inevitable happened and Takeru fell to the rocky road with a soft cry.  
  
Taichi was at the young blondes side in an instant and was glad to see no damage had been done, but there was something profoundly different in the child that he couldn't grasp.  
  
"Taichi we should stop for lunch. We have been walking for ages and need a break. We even ate breakfast walking!" Sora had been pestering him for hours about a break and she was right, the group was tired but he had been waiting for the right moment. Tai picked Takeru up in his arms and looked into his eyes, there was no doubt in his mind that the moment was now. He had found the change in Tk that had disturbed him earlier, all the hope and joy in those crystal eyes had gone. Now they were completely empty, void of any life or the hope that Tai held most dear about Takeru.  
  
"Alright, time for lunch! Who is hungry?" Tai put on his trademark grin and forced the usual bounce back into his voice for the sake of the others, but mostly for the child in his arms that he felt bound to protect.  
  
"We don't have to stop for me Taichi! I can keep going! If we don't keep going we are never going to find my Onii-chan!" Takeru was near tears, already his eyes glistened and his voice wavered.  
  
"Don't worry Tk, we need breaks so that when he get to Yama we can help him! In fact I bet he has the whole place serving him by now!" Normally this would have cheered Takeru and he would have gone off to play but now it only served to provoke the tears.  
  
"I want my Onii-chan!" He sobbed as Patamon flew around them trying to comfort the young blonde. "H-He said that he would make sure nothing happened to me but now he is gone! Just like the last time and daddy took him away!" Now even Taichi wanted to cry but he wouldn't let allow himself to think that way, not when the child of hope was like this!  
  
"He is making sure nothing happens to you!" Tk blinked and stopped crying long enough to hear Tai out. "Yama and I figured this all out, when he cant help you I will. I will be your brother number two! So when things like this happens and Yama is far away you still have someone to watch over you!" Tai could bite his tongue off for that one. Even to his own ears it sounded ridiculously sappy, not to mention the fact that he had stretched the truth until it threatened to snap in half. Somewhere someone must have loved Taichi because no more tears came and Takeru even smiled up at him, the old light returning to his eyes.  
  
"So I have Yamato and you! Until he comes back you will fill his duties and be my Onii-chan!" A true smile graced Taichis face as Takeru tried to adopt the air of a businessman finalizing a deal but still retained the sweetness of his smile.  
  
"Of course! Everyone will watch over you, especially me! So how about we go get some lunch before Agumon eats it all!" Takeru nodded happily and jumped from the older boys arms to lead the way to the food.  
  
Throughout the meal Tai kept on his grin and acted as happy as he had before Yamato had been taken away from him. For too long had the group seen their normally lighthearted leader act so spiritless, everyone took their cues from Taichi whether they knew it or not. When Tai is depressed the entire group is shrouded in darkness. It had scared Taichi to see Tk like that, without hope, even if it would eat at his soul to act as if he did not have a care in the world he would do it, for the group and for Yamato.  
  
By the end of lunch all of the present digidestined had a smile on their face. Taichi had even managed to have a reasonable conversation with Sora while he ate so he was sure she wouldn't throttle him next time he demanded they go on without a break.  
  
Consciously adding the spring to his step Tai led the group back out and led them further than even he had expected they would go in a day. That night Tai curled up in a ball away from the group and repressed the sudden urge to throw up. Every smile had hurt, every laugh thundered menacingly in his ears because his Yama was in danger and all he could do for him was smile.

* * *

Yamato gazed down at his friends wanting so much to be able to touch them, to feel them near him. They were all together and very much alive, nothing bad had happened to them in Matt's absence! The group was getting ready to eat, a fire danced beneath heaping amounts of food, more than they usually had to eat in a day. His eyes automatically found Taichi and Takeru, as he stared at them the view of the two grew larger.  
  
"What are they saying?" Yamato demanded. Tk was in Tais arms, what if he had been hurt and couldn't walk? With a wave of his hand Myotismon filled the chamber with Takerus sparkling voice.  
  
"Be my Onii-chan!" The boy was smiling, almost giggling.  
  
"Of course!" Taichi replied without hesitation, even he was smiling. "Everyone will watch over you, especially me! So how about we go get some lunch before Agumon eats it all!" The two made their way to the rest of the group and began to talk animatedly but Yamato heard no more.  
  
He had been replaced. Takeru didn't miss him, didn't need him. Everyone was smiling and laughing, even Gabumon was enjoying himself with Agumon. They did not need him nor want him back, they were doing fine without him. Tai...Tai was beaming, the picture of happiness, he was not fighting with a certain blonde, looking to the entire world like he could be no happier. They were not looking for him, they were feasting and laughing, they were better off without him. And above all Tai did not care that at that very moment Yamato could very well be dead.  
  
Matt did not cry, did not shed a tear, he was paralyzed. How long had he been fooling himself to think he belonged? Myotismon was right about everything, Tk replaced him, Tai didn't care for him and he would never belong anywhere.  
  
"Now you believe me?" Myotismons abnormally kind voice brought him back to reality. Yamatos face didn't change, still frozen in a blank mask, after a long pause he managed a nearly imperceptible nod.  
  
Before he knew what was happening Yamato was swept up into Myotismons arms and sharp fangs impaled his neck. Pleasure surged through his body and everything wrong with the world melted away until all that was left was a radiant light. Thunder boomed in his ears and vaguely he realized it was his own heartbeat and that the sound was growing weaker. The pleasure left as a wave of agony washed over him. Yamato could feel the blood rushing though his veins like liquid fire. He felt with amazing detail each drop that left his own body to fill the hungry mouth latched mercilessly to his neck.  
  
'No!' He wanted to scream, wanted to push the creature off of him but the arms tightened around him, dragging him to the cold chest and his voice would not come. With a sudden horror Yamato realized he couldn't breath, his body wasn't responding to him at all and the thundering in his ears turned to a slow soft thump.  
  
Myotismon detached himself from Yamatos neck with obvious effort. The boy lay motionless on the floor, only his eyes portrayed the true horror and pain he felt. The vampire took no notice of this and slashed at his wrist as if it was the most ordinary thing he ever did.  
  
"Drink or die." Yamato had been drained to the brink of death and they both knew it.  
  
A few drops of crimson life fell on Matts white lips. His blue eyes flew open as the first splash of flavor and warmth spread through him. With strength previously unknown to him Yamato latched onto the wound, sucking greedily at the blood. His human teeth fought for purchase on the pallid wrist and his hands clamped on, assuring him that this pleasure would not be taken from him. Yamato was mindless with the sensations of it all, the pain and love he fought with all his life were gone and only a primal urge remained.  
  
Myotismon gasped in pain and wrenched his arm free of Yamatos hold, flying across the room to lean heavily on the stone wall. His face was paler than usual and his body slumped with fatigue but a rare smile free of malice twisted his lips. He had done it, he and the boy were still alive, in a sense, and he could feel Yamatos body changing into something utterly perfect.  
  
Yamato lay content on the floor for a moment, lost in his blood lust. Then a spasm of pain had him doubling over and clutching desperately at his chest. The world had returned to darkness and evil ruled once again. Yamatos mind came back to him as his entire body revolted against him.  
  
"What is happening to me?" The sweet voice was nothing but a pained whisper. Myotismon watched Yamato writhe on the cold stones before answering without any compassion to speak of.  
  
"Your mortal body is dieing but pay it no attention, once that is done you will be immortal."  
  
Hours passed before Yamatos body finally died but it might as well have been centuries. The pain was gone and now all that was left was a hunger Matt had never felt before. A hunger that made his eyes red and his mind go blank with desire.  
  
"Hungry." The demand came in a cold inhuman tone but with a burst of human passion. Myotismon, who had taken long ago to staring at Yamato, simply smiled in response. With the snap of his fingers he beckoned one of his eager minions to his side. It was a small Pagumon who had the misfortune of answering.  
  
"Yes my lord?" The digimon did a feeble attempt at a bow and twitched nervously where it stood.  
  
Yamato watched the creature eagerly, he could hear the blood gushing through the digimons heart the moment he entered the room. As he stared thoughts of fear and anxious wondering filtered into his mind, he could read the Pagumons thoughts; feel everything the creature did if he desired to. Somehow this realization was secondary to his own thoughts of what the blood would taste like, would it have the same dark luster as Myotismon or would it be sweet, like the dolls the creature so resembled?  
  
The Pagumon wondered fearful what would happen if he made an attempt to escape the room but never had the chance to test the theory. Matt was across the chamber in a second, the digimon twisting desperately in his steel embrace. Without a word of guidance his new nature took over and Yamato sunk fangs into the creatures throat.  
  
Blood rushed into his mouth and filled his body with warmth he had not realized that he was lacking until then. Still the Pagumons thoughts came to him and Yamato wanted to laugh at what he saw, the creature was blissfully unaware of what was happening and knew only its momentary pleasure, but not for long. Its heart had taken on a new frenzied rhythm and Matt knew what was coming. A few more seconds and the creature would be his completely, the little heart would stop and he would feel every moment of it.  
  
"Stop." The word fell of deft ears and Yamato continued ruthlessly. Myotismon shouted the word again as he ripped the creature from Matts grasp. The blonde looked up as if seeing Myotismon for the first time. "Always stop before the heart ceases to beat." Yamatos vampire eyes fell on the creature convulsing at his feet, with a last little gasp the sound of rushing blood stopped and the constant thump of its heart faded into nonexistence.  
  
"N-No." Matt took a step back from the creatures' corpse as it disappeared in a fluttering of data. He hadn't meant to kill it; he wasn't even thinking...how could he kill something without even realizing he was doing it? A sudden pain in his lip stopped Matts slow retreat. He raised a tentative hand to his mouth and jumped when it connected with two sharp fangs, when he pulled it back he saw the crimson stain on his pale hand.  
  
"These creatures are your food now, you can hunt in the forest, feed on who you will. They are expendable, nothing but silly mortals for us to play with. With your new power you can defeat many digimon but for now it would be best to stay inside the castle walls. The hour grows late and it will soon be time to rest. You have free rein of the castle now but never venture outside in daylight without me, the light is unforgiving and will burn your immortal skin." As he spoke the last part Myotismons hand caressed the skin of Yamatos cheek like he was some wondrous new toy, full of unimaginable beauty and life. Yamato in turn was in shock and did nothing except keep himself upright.  
  
Yamato was left alone in the chamber had woken in but the bed had been taken away and a coffin lay in its place. Deciding to ignore this disturbing change until absolutely necessary Matt walked around the room until he found himself in front of a full length mirror with elegant golden trim decorating its frame. Happy just to be able to see himself in the mirror and break at least one myth about vampires or whatever he was now he examined the reflection. His golden hair felt lighter than it had been and it held a new sheen as if bathed in sunlight. How ironic, he wouldn't be able to see the sun again but his hair was the same brilliant gold color. Next Yamato looked into his eyes, they retained the same ocean blue color but held to many glittering flecks to pass off as human, they were far too beautiful, even if he himself didn't think so. What little color his skin had possessed was gone and it was now a radiant white that appeared to glow in the sparse light. All things considered Yamato liked how he looked but knew that now he would stand out even more among his own...no not his own, he was not human anymore, he was not among their kind, but non the less when around people he would stand out like never before.  
  
The room filled with the red light of dawn, just before the sun appears over the horizon and Yamato knew that the time had come. With a sense of dread he walked to the coffin and lifted its heavy wooden top with amazing ease. More than his looks had changed, as he was before lifting this monstrosity would have been nearly imposable. Now that he thought about it his injuries had disappeared as well, in fact all the usual aches and pains of being mortal were gone. 'No more stalling, the sun is rising' he told himself quietly. Before he could change his mind Yamato lowered himself into velvet pillowing the hard wood and shut the top. He was submerged by total darkness but somehow it didn't scare him as he thought it would, it was almost...natural. Before he realized it he was asleep, comfortable in his strange confines and blissfully unaware of how much pain the night would bring.

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Review p-p-please! How can you say no to a blood sucking Yama? I will eternally be in your debt! Woops a kind of almost cliffy! Poor Yama. 


	4. Never Leave

Warnings: swearing (albeit very little), m/m, cutting, and blood

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the little voices in my head.

A/N: Yes, i know there are no indents but is not letting me put them, if anyone has the same problem or knows whats wrong please help! I will fix it as soon as i can but until then please bare with me. Thank you

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Never Leave

* * *

Yamato was woken by a heavy knock on the lid of his coffin. Without having to be told he knew that it was Myotismon and that it was not yet time for him to arise, his body screamed it in horror as the lid was lifted. It was to early! The sun would find him and burn him to a cinder! 

A soft light still filled the room and Yamato shrunk back further into the depths of his wooden cocoon, fear gripping his heart. His body took over just as a mortals might in times of danger and his slender arms flew up to cover his face. Nothing happened. A gentle hand pushed his arms back and Yamato found himself staring up into the amused eyes of Myotismon.

"But its still light out, I thought that I..." Yamato felt no pain, no burning that he had already connected with the light of day and the heat of fire.

"The light of the digital sun is weak, did you never notice that even after weeks of walking beneath it your porcelain skin was untouched?" Myotismon did not wait for a response, rather he continued on knowingly. "If careful you can walk in day, with the aid of heavy concealing cloaks or my own bats to block the unforgiving light but don't assume the same for the real world. There a beam of light will take your immortal life in a ball of flame." The entire time the digimon spoke Yamato had the feeling that Myotismon enjoyed his presence; he had a strange air about him now, almost like a mentor with their prized student.

No words of confirmation seemed necessary; they even seemed stupid and out of place after Myotismons words so Yamato just climbed gracefully from his coffin. The moment he stood upright a heavy black cloak was fastened about his shoulders, a long hood trailing down his back.

"Just in case." Matt nodded and fingered the lush material, it seemed only fitting that it was black. He was not human any longer, why wear what they do in some crude imitation of life? The heavy black cape seemed to fall straight from a storybook, the traditional garb of the creatures of the night, creatures that take life to sustain their own.

"Why are we going out in daylight when we can wait until night when it is safer?"

"The digidestined are close by. The group is approaching the castle from the south and will be here within the hour, I prefer that we go out to meet them."

"What do you plan to do with them?" He didn't mean for his voice to waver but his chest was filling with pain. They may never love him back but Yamato could never forsake those he held dear, Takeru, Taichi...

"As I said before, you will decide their fate. You are one of us now Yamato and that means a share in the power." There was no mistaking the strange air in Myotismons voice now; and his mind, which had been closed to Yamato before, slipped open for a moment and all manner of thoughts, memories, and feelings gushed out at him. Years of loneliness and longing, soul searing solitude and the deaths of many mortals came to Yamato in an instant and then they were gone.

So that is what will happen to Yamato if he chooses to leave the digimon. Complete isolation from any of the things he once loved and watching from afar the mortals that composed his life age and die. It became clear to Yamato that he had no choice, he could not leave Myotismon and he could not pretend to be human, but there was no way he could survive watching Taichi die either.

"I want them sent back to the real world unharmed."

"Then so be it."

* * *

Taichi froze in mid step as the sky above him was engulfed in swirls of black. Millions of bats were flying overhead and soon they blocked out the very light of the sun and day turned to night. Myotismon appeared in a ball of smoke and bats not twenty feet in front of him, a smaller figure cloaked all in black standing at his side. Of course Taichi missed this figure in favor of confronting Myotismon. 

"What have you done to him?" Taichi screamed at the top of his lungs. "If you even laid a finger on him I swear that I will rip out each of your stupid fangs before I send you straight to hell!"

"You can drop the act now Taichi, I know everything." Yamatos cold voice resonated unnaturally in the barren clearing. Matt enjoying the wince he received at the use of Taichis full name instead of the endearment Tai. He was proud of the spiteful tone he had conjured up; it was excellent even for Yamato, because inside he was trembling. Maybe somehow he could get through the whole ordeal with them thinking he had just switched sides, not species as he had truly done, maybe they would never know what he had become. Yamato didn't want to see the look of horror on his dear Tais face as he gazed upon his inhuman figure, but most of all he didn't want to feel the rush of emotion radiating off the ever-passionate boy. To hear Myotismons thoughts and the thoughts of the digimon armies around him was nothing but second nature, but to hear the innermost workings of Tais mind seemed too cruel, barbaric even to break into the mind of one so innocent and pure.

Tai looked back and forth from Myotismon to the cloaked figure beside him. For a moment the chocolate brown eyes were confused, but then the fabricated confidence returned to him and the uncertainty vanished.

"Don't pretend to be Yama!" Taichi was outraged. "If Yamato were free like that he would come back to me!" His primal rage hid any desperation his voice may otherwise have held.

"Not if I found out the truth." Yamato pulled of his hood knowing that Tai would not give up without seeing him. Maybe from this distance he would not notice the luminescent skin or the inhumanly beautiful eyes.

"Y-Yama?" Tai stuttered helplessly as his beloved companion stood side by side with their enemy.

"Capture them but do not harm them." Yamatos voice commanded and Myotismons armies appeared like magic. Agumon was the first to digivolve and the others soon followed suit, all except for Gabumon who could only watch helplessly as his best friend refused to acknowledge him.

The fight raged on behind them but Taichi did not notice as he made his way shakily toward Yamato. "What truth are you talking about Yama? Whatever they told you were lies, please believe me!"

"Takeru doesn't need me, you don't need me and you never did! Just leave me alone Tai, go back home and I will take care of everything here." He desperately wanted Taichi to go away. It was not a rush of feeling he felt radiating off Taichi now but the sound of his blood rushing through his heart. He had not fed and the blood lust was taking control of his senses. Yamato was engulfed with the steady beat of Tais heart, the warmth coming from him in waves. More than anything he wanted to taste Tai, the sweet blood of an innocent, his Taichi in all his mortal beauty. To feel his heart go into that terrible rhythm and to know that Taichis life lay in his hands.

"Your wrong Yama! Takeru does need you, he needs his Onii-chan. And I need you! I have always needed you Yama, didn't you know that?" Tears were forming in Taichis eyes and now he was only ten feet away from Yamato. With the water blurring his vision Tai fancied that it was his mind making up the color of Yamatos skin, even lighter and more beautiful than it had been the last time they were together, that the brilliant eyes staring at him were just the same as they always were if only the tears blurring his vision would go away.

"Liar! Just go away Tai! Quick! Run while you still can!" Yamato had to get Taichi away from himself. His control was slipping, his vision turned red.

"No! I wont leave you!" Tai marched on oblivious to the danger he was walking in to. Tai was only five feet from Yamato now; a mere reach and the brunet would be lost.

Yamato lost his fragile hold on himself and darted forward. Tai fell to the ground in a painful heap as a blast hit the ground beneath his feet. A small digimon had decided to attack the brunet from behind and Yamato had pushed Taichi away and pulled the creature into his deadly embrace. Effortlessly his sharp fangs sunk into the creatures neck and the blood filled his mouth. His sapphire eyes locked with Tais purposefully, let him see the monster he was if it was bound to happen. Why not show him the true horror Matt had become? It would only make it easier to say goodbye if Taichi loathed him. But the confusion in Tais eyes did not turn to disgust or hate, Yamato couldn't stand the innocents of the gaze and let his own eyes drift shut as he drained the creature to the point of death and dropped it to the ground like garbage.

Yamato opened his eyes slowly. His mind had returned to him along with his heightened senses. No clear thoughts came from Taichi, it was as if there were simply no words to describe that moment. Instead Yama felt the on slaughter of unconditional love, it was like nothing he had ever felt alive or undead, and all of it was directed at him.

"Yama." The word was like a caress, full of understanding compassion and love.

"I am a monster, lead them away from here and nothing will harm you, but you must leave now and forget about me."

"I cant do that. I can't leave you behind."

"I am not the person you remember, I can never be one of you again! I am not like you."

"Than make me like you." Tais voice held nothing but love.

"No...I will not turn you." Send Taichi away, let him live the life he was born to live and then die of old age but do not ask for his life to be taken away from him as it was taken from Yamato.

"I know what I am asking Yama, please." Taichi extended his arms to him, reaching out for Yamatos embrace.

"You have no idea what you are asking! You don't know what it is like! You are pure and do not kill, do not feed on the lives of others to survive! I have killed and I will kill again but I will not kill you! I will not make another!" Yamato screamed at the brunet, oblivious to the large digimon locking onto their position and Myotismons self-satisfied smirk.

"Yama I..." Taichi was cut off as a blast the size of a small car disintegrated the rocks around him. A split second before it hit Yamato had seized Tai in his arms and flown him to safety. The brunet still in his arms Matt turned on Myotismon.

"I said they were not to be harmed! Your army is trying to kill them!" Yamatos eyes darkened and a sheen of red covered the white of his eyes.

"You have to command them yourself." Myotismon said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Yamato let out a primal scream of outrage, covering one of Taichis sensitive human ears with his hand and pulling the other ear to rest against his chest to protect him from the inhuman sound. The screech was heard over all the cries of battle and all fighting stopped as every eye turned to the blonde.

"I am calling you all back! You mindless cronies of Myotismon! Return to the castle now or die!" A single DarkTyranomon ignored Yamato and turned on Taichi, not recognizing the blond as an authority figure. Taichi was lowered to the ground and in a single leap Yamato had cleared the space between himself and the ill-fated digimon. Knowing that every eye was on him Matt jumped on top of the creatures back and kicked the DarkTyranomans neck. His foot sunk deep into the flesh and the loud crack of its neck breaking made the digidestined twitch. It was dead before it hit the ground, scattering its data into the wind. "Now go! All of you!" Matt shouted and the armies did run, afraid that they would be next.

Yamatos keen hearing picked up soft whimpering on the wind. Tk, Tk had seen everything and he was afraid, not only for himself but for his dear Onii-chan. Yamato could feel his heart twisting painfully, so monsters can love.

"Run!" Yamato sneered at his once companions, spreading them into the forest. He would have to collect them all but for now he could postpone just a little longer feeling the pain coming from Takeru and the horror written on all their faces. Mimi had grabbed Takeru and taken him kicking and screaming into the woods. Taichi also resisted leaving but Sora had a firm grip on him and was steadily leading him away.

"Yama! I wont let it end like this! I wont! You can not just leave me like this!" Tai shouted back to the blond as Joe picked up his free arm and helped pull Taichi away.

"But it already has ended Tai, and I can not return to you."

"Than I will come to you!" Then he was gone, engulfed by the shelter of the trees and heavy brush.

"I wont let you." Yamatos soft words were lost in the wind, never intending to be heard by the other boy anyway. After composing himself he twirled around to face Myotismon. "Why didn't you help me? Why didn't you do what I asked? You betrayed me!" Passion made the words grow strong even in the face of an evil such as Myotismon.

"I did not betray you, you were in charge of all of this. I am just a witness. Do what you will with them young one but do not become attached, mortals die." Myotismon began calling some of his bats back to him to take him home.

'So you are leaving me alone then?' Yamato sent the thought to the other before he had the chance to leave. Myotismon smiled smugly down at him, which only served to flame the fires within Matt. His soul was in torment and more than willing to lash out at anything that posed a target. 'What makes you so sure I will not leave you?'

"Because despite all of your masks of indifference you can not stand to be alone." Myotismon spoke aloud and somehow it made the bite of the words all the more painful, now the words that hit disturbingly close to Yamatos heart could ring in his ears and his mind could pick apart every syllable.

Minutes passed where Yamato was content to stand as he was, he wanted to hide from his problems as long as he could. Only when the faint smell of Takeru came to him on the wind did he move. 'Collect them and send them away, back home where they are safe and happy, do not think about them. Do not think about how you will never see them again, about how saying a final goodbye would just be unbearable, about how this miss matched group of children became your family. No, just keep your mind blessedly blank.'

"Onii-chan!"

Shit.

Takeru was running to him with tears filling his eyes. Yamato stood unmoving as his little brother hugged his legs fiercely.

"Onii-chan I was so worried about you, but Taichi said you would be fine and you are! You are ok aren't you Matt?" Takeru tugged at his pants but got no response except for glittering eyes staring down at him. "Why wont you talk to me? Matt? Onii-chan?" Takeru sniffed and buried his little face in the folds of Yamatos cape.

"Yamato." Mimi walked from where Tk had come from and did not stop until she was a step away from him. Matt looked up at her but his face remained stony. "Please stay with us. None of us care what has happened or what it means just as long as we are all together."

No trace of fear or deceit emanated from Mimi, only a rush of sincerity and loving friendship. Matt looked away; looking into her eyes was just too painful, how could she so blindly accept him back when she had seen what he had become?

Wordlessly Yamato gathered Takeru in one arm so that the little boy twisted until his face was buried in his big brothers neck. With his other arm Yamato grabbed Mimi and before she had the chance to object they were flying through the air. Trees rushed past below them and the sky above remained unchanged, a single mass of black. Once they were back to the place of the battle Matt placed them both on their feet.

"Make sure they do not leave." Yamato spoke to the digimon that had filtered down from the castle walls after hearing about a huge battle having taken place near by. They were among the lower, less useful of Myotismons armies but they would do for watching the digidestined.

"Onii-chan you aren't leavening are you?" Takeru sniffed. Matt had meant to walk away without a word but he couldn't leave Tk like that. He turned and stooped so that he was level with the shorter blond.

"Don't worry Tk, I am going to go get the others so that you can go back to the real world together." Takerus face lit up and Yamato couldn't help the hand that snuck out to stroke his brothers cheek lightly. He stood and gazed stonily at the group of digimon gathering in front of him. "If a single hair in out of place when I return I will make all of you my lunch." Yamato smiled for effect, allowing pearly white fangs to slip over his bottom lip.

The group agreed readily with little whimpers of fear and over excited nods but it was the high-pitched yelp just beyond them that caught Yamatos attention. He stalked over gracefully and effortlessly pulled Joe from a bush.

"Err...Hi Yamato!" Joe smiled sheepishly from beneath his glasses.

"Weren't you with Taichi?" Yamatos eyes grew a little wider as he spoke. Joe flushed and straightened out the bag hanging awkwardly from his shoulder.

"Well I was, but then he flipped out and I kind of got lost..." A single golden eyebrow raised and Joe continued. "Taichi had been fighting us the entire time but then Sora said something to him and he flipped out. I didn't hear what she said but he managed to escape our holds on him."

Yamato growled and his eyes blazed. "Stay here." Joe was deposited next to the others to blink at where Yamato had just been as said blond rushed into the woods. Sora had probably said something stupid about Yamato to make Tai flip out like that. Sometimes the brunet was surprisingly passionate, especially when he thought someone was going to leave him. Matt longed to feel the presence of their beloved leader but instead it was Sora he happened upon.

"Yamato!" Soras voice shook with the fear none of the others had possessed. When Matt said nothing and continued to advance her fear grew and began to consume her. "Come on Yamato you don't want to do this do you? Lets go find the others together and leave this place!" Several times her voice broke and she backed up cautiously. Finally she had backed up against a tree and could go no farther. This realization seemed to spark some courage in her. "You wouldn't harm me! The others would never forgive you!" Silly girl thought Yamato was going to feed on her; of course he did nothing to dispel this idea.

"What did you do with Tai?" His lips were drawn tight so that his fangs were visible and his eyes were piercing, even if she would not tell him he would pull the information from her mind.

"I wont give him to you!" She shouted. Matt pulled the images from her without her ever realizing her mind was being plundered. Sora was whispering something in Taichis ear, words of how she always knew Yamato would be the end of them. Taichis chocolate eyes lit ablaze and in a surge of strength he wrenched away form their grasps; he looked so pained and desperate as he ran from them...Sora too had gotten lost after Taichis escape.

"Yamato! Sora!" Izzy fell through the brush just left of the tree Sora found herself against. "Its good to see you again Yamato." His voice was as even as ever, if he realized what had being transpiring he ignored it. "I heard Sora so I came here, have you seen any of the others? Or any of the digimon? Most of them dedigivolved during the battle and were sent flying."

Oh ya, the digimon. He could go collect them like he was doing the digidestined but that would take to long and a strong feeling in his heart was telling him to find Taichi. Instead he sent out a mental message to the digimon. 'Go back to the clearing were you battled if you wish to see your digidestined, no harm will come to you.' He felt where each was and knew that most of them were already near where he had left the others.

"I will take you to them." Yamato stated passively. Izzy nodded but Sora would have nothing of it.

"We can't trust him! Did you see what he did to that digimon earlier? What if we are next?" She had fallen to the ground after snagging her foot on a root and slid behind Izzy on her hands and knees.

"Yamato is our friend, he will not hurt us even if he has the ability to do so." Izzy said reasonably.

The feeling of dread was growing inside Yamato. He didn't know whether it was part of his new abilities or something else but he did know one thing, Tai needed him. Yamato caught up Izzy and Sora in his arms and they were with the others in an instant. The digimon had done what he asked and they were filtering into the clearing and being put with their children partners.

Yamato took off on foot into the woods, running as only a vampire can. His senses were straining for any sign of the brunet his heart was screaming for. With precious little to go on Yamato ran in the direction that simply felt right to him. Then it came to him so strongly that his head swam with the scent of it. Blood, but not just any blood, it was Taichis blood and there was a lot of it.

"TAI!" He couldn't see anything yet and his mind was too panicked to utilize any other senses. Hadn't all of the stronger digimon been sent back to the castle? How could he have missed a presence strong enough to take down one of his friends? Anything that dared touch his Taichi was going to die. By the time Yamato found Tai he was ready to kill mercilessly, rip whatever hurt Tai into a thousand pieces before it disappeared from existence. But there was no such creature, only a broken boy in a dark oasis with blood stained flowers littering the ground.

"No..." Yamato wanted to fall to his knees and pull his beloved into his arms but in that moment time stopped. All the irrelevant little details of the scene were coming to the front of his mind, maddening him. It was darker than the rest of the forest here, everything was cast in a dark blue hue and the grass was plush underneath his feet. Little white flowers the same color of the full moon were scattered about the clearing, but they were changing with the grass. The beautiful greens and whites were being engulfed in a growing pool of crimson staining the ground. Finally Yamatos mind took mercy upon him and focused exclusively on the boy lying before him. Taichi laid spread out on the grass, his lips were blue and his normally tan skin was deathly pale. In one hand he was clutching the small Swiss army knife he always carried with him as if his life depended on it and rivulets of blood flowed freely from both wrists.

"Tai!" Yamato cried as time proceeded once more like it had never stopped. He threw the blade away from them as if it were a bomb and pulled Taichi into his lap to cradle the limp head against his chest. "How could you?"

Yamato pressed his lips to Taichis forehead lovingly as his vision turned crimson. For the first time sense his mortal body died Yamato cried and a single crimson teardrop cascaded down his pallid cheek.

* * *

Hi everyone!!! I love you all! Thank you SO much for the reviews, without you this never would have happened! I cant tell you how much it means to me! Anyway, no Tai is not dead, he is still bleeding after all. (Wow you know something sucks when bleeding is good) Next chapter will have more Tai POV I think. Once more, I love you all and so do Tai and Yama our poor tortured bishies! Thanks for reading and I hope you injoyed this chapter. 


	5. Another Death

Warnings: Blood, m/m,

Disclaimer: I am making no money off of this; this is purely for the amusement of my twisted mind.

Authors Notes: Sorry I took so long! Summer reading, 1000 pages in a week then a week of tests. I so LOVE school...As a sorry I have created a short Taito piece, 100 done, I think you will like I, called "The letter". Sorry again and ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!

* * *

Another Death

* * *

Yamato pressed his lips to Taichis forehead lovingly as his vision turned crimson. For the first time sense his mortal body died Yamato cried and a single crimson teardrop cascaded down his pallid cheek.

Yamato pulled back just enough to look down at his precious charge. Two chocolate eyes were staring up at him, glazed over but recognizing, his lips were moving but no words came out. He was alive, a weak pulse beat erratically under pale skin, he was alive but not for long, already the fragile heart was slowing, failing with no blood left to pump.

In the next few moments there were no thoughts on Yamatos part, only a rush of human adrenalin coursing through his system, guiding his movements. He brought his own wrist to a sharp fang and tore the flesh, no time for grace or elegance. Crimson gushed from the wound, droplets falling onto Taichis dry lips. Tai groaned, not fully understanding what was happening around him through the pain in his body, and unable to comprehend what needed to be done.

"Drink." Yamato cooed as he pressed his bleeding wrist to Tais mouth. Taichi blinked as the first rush of blood spilled into his mouth, then his fevered hands grasped the appendage much like Yamato had done only a day before, clutching it to his lips.

Yamato watched silently, worry coursing through him like the blood flowing from him. He did not know if it would work, if he was still too young in vampire time, if he could bring someone over from the very point of death, snatch Taichi from deaths cold embrace and make him immortal. But even as these worries tore at him he could not help but watch Tai fighting desperately for the life he was unwittingly killing, it was too heartbreaking. He tore his crystal eyes from the sight and pressed his lips to Taichis forehead once more. Minutes passed and Yamato was growing steadily weaker, his veins were on fire, pain shooting through every part of him with the acute senses of the undead. He had given more than even Myotismon had, fear and love propelling him to give everything he had to Tai. But he could not let himself become useless, who else would care for Tai now if not for him? Taichi could hate him all the more for what Yamato had made him later, once he was safe and as close to alive as he could become. When the pain grew too unbearable and it seemed like he would burst into flames Yamato wrenched his wrist away, falling back wards to lay limply in the pool of Taichis blood.

He didn't know how long he lay there before Tai moved from his lap, he could feel the brunet crawling up his body and stopping when their heads were only inches apart.

"Yama?" Taichis whimper was worried and pained, enough to make Yamato turn to watch the stricken face. A hand caressed his pallid cheek. "Your Ok right? Yama?" Taichis eyes were filling with crystalline mortal tears. Yamato nearly laughed at how familiar this position was, Taichi hovering above him fearing that he had once again broken the blond. Yamato would have laughed but he was still far to worried, not that his face showed it, it was the perfect picture of stoic uncaring.

Taichi was full out crying now, mumbling apologies, promises that everything would be alright, he actually thought he had killed Yamato and that now he would watch him die when really it was the other way around. Tai was still caressing Yamatos cheek when the first spasm of death wracked his slender frame, sending him down into Yamato.

Matt caught up Taichi in his arms and sat up, holding him like an infant and whispering soothing words until the fit passed. As soon as the pain was gone Taichi smiled weakly.

"Yama your OK." He sighed and snuggled closer into Yamatos heat before another wave of pain hit him, twisting a painful cry unbidden from his throat. His hands clawed at his chest where the pain was emanating from his heart. "What-What is happening?" Tai gasped in a forced voice that faded at the end of every clipped word.

"Your mortal body is dieing." Yamato didn't know how to feel. It was working, Tais body had not rejected the blood, he was changing and still had a chance, on the other hand Tai was never going to be human again. Tai, the one who was suppose to go live a full life and die a natural death an old man because Yamato could not was going to become immortal, he would fear the sun and take life and his damnation would be Yamatos fault. So the joy did not prevail in his voice and neither did the sorrow, this left a cold indifference that struck Tai even through his pain.

"It's going to hurt for awhile, then you will be like me." Yamato added, this time sorrowfully, as if he had lost something very dear to him.

Taichi writhed in Yamatos lap, trying to hold back the gasps of pain that were being wrung from him. Of course Yamato could see all of this and it hurt him to do so. He was wished there was some way to ease the pain of death. A way to take the pain upon himself instead. Maybe blood could ease the pain for him, feeding while the body changes so as not to suffer the inhuman hunger pains as well. But that would mean having Tai take life before he even turned.

Taichi could see everything going on around him but with the pain controlling the spasms of his body there was simply nothing he could do about it. This was truly horrifying as Yamato placed him on the ground and walked away, into the forest and out of sight. Tais mind exploded, Yamato had left him, he had pushed the blonde too far, forced him into something he was against with his entire being and now he would pay for it. He had not been deft to the cold indifferent words given to him, it was then he feared Yamato had given up on him, disgusted and betrayed he would leave, but he had not gone until now. Tai didn't want this, it hadn't been the power Taichi had coveted, it was Yamato. He had bled himself to the point of death because Yamato would not do it for him, because Yamato would live alone forever rather than put up with him and he could not let that happen. Taichi would and has done everything for Yamato, but he messed up and pushed too far, now Yamato was gone. Scarlet tears streamed down Tais face as he curled up into a ball in a pool of his own blood, not for the pain ripping at his body but for the loss of his love.

"Tai!" Yamato ran back into the little cove and pulled Tai into his lap, indifference forgotten for the moment. Taichis limbs immediately unfolded themselves and wrapped around Yamato convulsively, desperately.

"Don't- Don't leave me!" The pain was growing worse and Taichis words were more clipped, it took everything he had to say them, to keep Yamato at his side.

"I'm sorry." And he was, Yamato was saddened to see the tears streaming down his loves face, to see how weak his mighty leader had become for him. "I wont leave you again, but I had to go feed." Yamatos cheeks were flushed and rosy, his eyes sparkling, like a human in the prime of life, the most human state a vampire could achieve, and it had taken several evil digimon to get this way. Without explanation he lifted his wrist to Taichis mouth, expecting it to be taken readily but Tai turned his face away.

"Drink, it will make you feel better." Taichi shook his head again; he did not want to hurt Yamato again.

Matt played with a chocolate lock as he thought of what to do, admiring the deep color against his pale hand and sharp fingernails. Then a smile that revealed his pearly white fangs graced his features and he releases the lock in order to stab delicately at the side of his throat. A crimson rivulet made its way down his shoulder and into his cloths, falling close to Taichis open mouth. Yamato shifted the boy in his lap until Tais face was in the curve of his neck.

"Go on." Yamato spoke and was answered with Taichis half contemplated thoughts, falling hazardly from him. Taichi didn't want to hurt him again, a valiant leader to the very end. Yamatos voice again took on its indifferent mask as the painful thought coursed through his mind, only as a leader would Tai not want to hurt him. "You wont hurt me."

That was all the reassuring Taichis blood lusting mind needed when so close to his coveted prize. Matt had expected pain actually; a ruthlessness he had become accustom to so quickly with his own kills but Taichi was supremely gentle. His neck was not torn further, and definitely not into shreds as he had dreaded, instead it was almost intimate; a direct link with Tai that he had only glimpsed before but through the clutter of pain.

Taichi released his hold on Yamatos neck after drinking till his hearts content, he could feel Yamatos heart beat, feel the blood in both their bodies and knew without knowing how he knew how much he could take without hurting the other boy, how much he needed to not crave anything and have his eyes turn red. After he released the pale neck he pulled back to examine the area with his head resting on Yamato shoulder, blood still seeped from it but it appeared to be healing. Tai wasn't thinking about his actions anymore, mind muddled with the sleepiness of overeating something warm and savory. He let himself lick Yamatos pale neck like a kitten with milk until it healed over before his eyes. It was then he noticed for the first time that he was in less pain. Occasionally the spasms of pain attacked him but they were bearable, only causing him to double over slightly.

"Why?" Yamatos voice was deeper than normal and tinged with the pain of inner turmoil. When he got no answer and knew that none would come Matt decided upon a question that his heart demanded a concrete answer for, one that he would not let slip away. "Did you want death or this?" His arms tightened unconsciously around the boy in his arms, trying to protect them both from the answer.

"I was not trying to kill myself." Taichi answered slowly, afraid of the response he might get. Yamato seemed to accept the answer because he kept talking.

"Do you have any idea of the danger you are in? Of all the plans you ruined?" Yamato was not accusing, rather his voice held that same unmistakable sorrow. The sorrow that sounded as if his world had come crashing down around him and lay in ruins at his feet.

"I don't care about the danger, and we can make new plans, together." Tai sat up and twisted until he faced Yamato and could stare into the unfathomably deep sapphire eyes that were more beautiful now than every before.

Yamato stared quietly for a moment. Taichi was changing before his eyes. His tan skin was becoming lighter, not as light as his own but still pale. The warm chocolate eyes were shining brightly as the gained some swirling color and began reflecting the light in mesmerizing ways. Yamato could even see the beginnings of two fangs biting lightly into his soft bottom lip.

"You should care. Myotismon will not like this, if he knows what happened he will try to kill you. I cant send you away now, not to the real world, there the light will kill you instantly or you will be alone for eternity."

"Does this mean you will stay with me?" Taichi missed all of the words Yamato had dubbed important in his own mind and asked the question without thought.

"Taichi the digidestined are all sitting in the middle of a field of Myotismon digimon waiting to be sent home be me! But they can't go because we can not go into the castle with just them or you like you are, Myotismon will know and kill them and us!" Yamato said heatedly. He had almost called the digidestined his friends but it seemed like too much of a liberty to say so. Yamato ignoring Taichis question blatantly, because for right now that was just too much to handle. Taichi staying with him forever had never even come into his mind, even if for a second he had entertained the idea of turning Taichi he never thought the boy would stay. Eventually Tai would hate what he had become and lash out at the one who made him what he was, Yamato. Besides, there was no strong link besides this secret holding them together. Once Yamato had thought they were best friends but those foolish days were over, Tai would never feel even an inkling of what he felt, not even in friendship. Even if Taichi stayed with him for a while it would only be until he learned enough not to be afraid and then he would become bored with his companion and leave.

Tai looked down at Yamatos neck when he could take the intense gaze no longer. Matt had not answered his question and that made him doubt, then to make matters worse Yamato continued on with a speech that only proved Tai was being selfish. Their friends were in danger and all he could think about was making sure Yamato would not leave him.

"Your right, we have to go get them back." Tai thought for a moment, biting his lip out of habit and yelping as fangs sunk into his lip. Yamato actually smiled at that. "You can go tell the digimon there was a change in plans and bring all the digidestined out here, there was a cave near by we can hide in until we think of some way to get out of this mess." Tai stood up, lifting himself from Yamatos warm embrace for the first time. It didn't last long, another fit of pain gripped Taichi and had him doubling over, only staying upright thanks to Yamatos strong arms wrapping around his chest.

"Tai!" Yamato was panicked, for a horrible instant he thought that Taichis body was rejecting the process, that after all they had been through Taichi would die. Of course it was only the last pains of his dieing body which soon passed and left Tai standing and comforting the distraught blond. "Your not ready yet."

"We don't have a choice. Besides I'm fine." Tai smiled as brightly as he ever had and kissed Yamatos cheek. Tai knew in his heart that he had been horrible to Yamato in the past, that even now he had just ripped an unwilling gift from his body, and that sometime very soon Yamato would leave him, but when that time did come he would fight and live on because these last moments with the blonde were not wasted. Tai would never have to wonder "what if" and maybe in time Yamato could forgive him and they could stay together for the rest of their immortal lives. "Come on." Taichi tugged Yamato forward until Matt regained composure from the kiss and had them both running through the forest at top speed.

"Good Luck!" Tai whispered as Yamato left him in the bushes at the end of the field. The digidestined and their partners all turned eagerly toward Yamato, Sora still quivering slightly from her hiding place behind Mimi.

Yamato drew himself up to his full height and flashed his fangs at the group, trying his best to look imposing and official.

"Good work, I won't have to kill you all after all." He addressed Myotismons pathetic gooneys. "Go back to the castle, I have work to do here. If I see even one of you trying to stay back you will die in a most painful way." Another flash of teeth had all the digimon running up tot the castle as fast as their legs would take them.

Sora screamed at the top of her lungs and several of the digimon stopped and turned back. "HE KILLED TAICHI!" She screamed again, she would have continued if Mimi had not clamped a gloved hand over her mouth. Sora saw the blood covering Yamato and instantly flipped out, never mind that Yamato would have either had to roll in blood, as he had actually done, or blow Taichi up to get himself in such a state. Too many of the digimon had heard this to be eliminated by Yamato. He could only hope that none of them would take the suspicious news to Myotismon.

Yamato walked toward the group of what he once called friends. They all waited eagerly for him to talk, save Sora who was still screaming behind Mimi's hand.

"Follow me." Yamato said shortly and made sure that they all complied or were forced to comply as he led them into the forest. Before they could reach the bushes that Tai hid in Yamato decided to try speaking to him without words.

'You should stay out of sight until we get to the cave or Sora might cause several big problems.'

'I can hear you!' Taichi thought excitedly before he could stop himself, Yamato was glad the others were behind him and could not see him forcing back a laugh. Just being around Tai like this made him feel giddy, like everything that had happened was just a bad dream and that they could live as they once had. 'I will stay out of sight, but this is still really cool!' Yamato could practically picture Tais mirthful face as he sent the message.

With several directions from Taichi, Yamato led the group to the little cave and ushered them all inside.

"Where is Taichi?" Takeru asked a little sadly from his seat on the ground. Yamato flinched, Tai had become Takerus new Onii-chan after all, he should have known that would be the first thing from Takerus mouth but he didn't want it to be.

"I'm here." Tai stepped out of the enveloping darkness in the back of the cave and into the gentle light. Takeru was so relieved that he ran over and hugged Tai, everyone missed Yamatos flinch as he sunk into one of the corners, and feelings of uselessness and being unwanted washing over him.

"Taichi your different!" Takeru grinned up at the older boy, using his little fingers to point out the fangs Tai had developed.

A loud sigh and a whoosh of air came from somewhere in the middle of the cave, Sora had fainted and was currently being lowered onto the ground.

"How did you do it?" Mimi asked, staring wide-eyed at the fangs and glassy fingernails. "What did you both do? Can I get a pedicure like that?"

Izzy responded for Taichi and Yamato, flipping open his laptop so that they could only see a tuft of red hair above the monitor. "Neither of you are registering as completely human anymore, so I'm guessing Myotismon did something to change Yamato but I'm not sure about Taichi."

"Long story short, Yama is not happy with me." Tai threw his hand to the back of his head nervously and glanced over at where Yamato had sunken into the shadows. Something about the way Yamato was holding himself was wrong, searching for it now Tai could feel the emotions coming off Yamato but could hear nothing. Yamato was sad, depressed, dejected, feelings of uselessness all but radiated from him; even doubt could be felt around the blond. Finding no reason that Yamato should feel several of those things Taichi decided it was time to investigate. It would be his last gift to Yamato before he was abandoned by the blond, Tai would fix whatever was causing him so much heartache.

"Why don't you guys eat and rest up. We all need to prepare for whatever could attack us." The group decided that this would be best and left Sora asleep on the floor to feed the digimon and rest, talking lightly amongst themselves as they did so.

Taichi slipped over to Yamato and took a hold of a slender wrist, dragging him into the back of the cave where only their superior eyes could see each other clearly.

"Yama what is it?"

"He might be able to see us, hear us right now." Yamato answered softer than necessary, as if guarding the words from Myotismons ears.

"What? How?"

"He has this thing, I saw you all through it. I could hear ever word you said." Yamatos voice was strained; bad memories making it difficult to talk, Tai took note of this but as forced to ignore it for the moment.

"Well there are a million caves around here, he wont be able to pick out which one we are in." Tai sat down and watched Yamato do the same; they sat cross-legged across from each other, so close that their knees touched. 'What if we talk like this? The others wont say anything he cares about.' Matt nodded an affirmative, watching the rocks, which had suddenly become very fascinating.

'Something is wrong, I can feel it.' Tai said to Yamato without words, when he got no response he took Yamatos hand into his own and squeezed it gently. 'It's what you saw isn't it? What did you see when you watched us?'

'Nothing.'

'Yama.' Tai grabbed the other hand too and held them both in his lap, pouting his lips cutely in an attempt to break the blondes resolve.

'Stop that. Don't tease me.' Yamato said harshly but made no move to take back his hands. 'I know I am not needed here, that I am only still with you all because I am a digidestined and help Gabumon digivolve. Takeru doesn't need me, he has you. And you don't need me either Taichi so don't pretend you do!'

'You're my best friend of course I need you!' Tai thought instantly.

'You were happy enough without me!' Yamatos voice was harsh in Tais mind but now it made sense. Yamato had always suffered from these insecurities, feelings that he was not wanted, that he would be abandoned. The only thing that could have set him off was seeing that one day where Taichi was smiling despite the throbbing pain in his heart, the day that through fake lightheartedness on his part got the group further than he had ever thought possible. The only thing was, why would Yamato care if he hated Tai?

'No, that was all fake. Manufactured for the benefit of the group. As leader I had to do it to get to you faster!'

'As a leader you were trying to save me.' Yamato spat back sorrowfully.

'As your friend! No matter what I say you are going to think what you want but at least know this! No matter what happens I will never leave you. Never. If we are separated someday far from now it will be because you got sick of me, I need you Yama!' Taichi sent a rush of raw emotion to Yamato through their link, love and passion, enough to erase the doubts of anyone except Yamato.

"You only need me because you are actually afraid of something for once! Afraid of what you are! You wanted this, the power, the beauty, I would have saved you from it but you took it anyway! Don't lie to me Taichi!" Yamato blew up, ripping his hands from Taichis and standing. "You have what you wanted, you took it from me! Now leave me alone!" Yamato was heartbroken, confused and pained by his own thoughts, he couldn't stand it anymore.

Outside the little cave bats were clearing out of the nighttime skies and back to their master. The sky was not its normal deep blue but an agitated gray, heavy storm clouds rumbled above as lightning struck the ground, scorching wherever it touched, telling the tale of what was to come. A battle with fire and light, tension and darkness, a battle in which something or someone would cease to exist.

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Next chapter sooner, I promise. I have very good ideas for this little story, there is still more to go yet! What will Myotismon do? What will out beloved heroes do? Can they conquer all of there mental angst or let it consume them and let the digital world fall? Next time on Digi...Vampires Kiss....(Review please! I love opinions!)


	6. Goodbyes

Disclaimer: I own naught but the little voices in my head

Warnings: swearing

A/N: I know I know! I am a horrible person for this wait but life intrudes and I was forced away from writing and into helping a friend wrongfully put in a mental hospital. Again, I apologize and I will try to be quick about it! With that done…ON WITH THE SHOW.

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Yamato turned to leave, it was the only way. He couldn't sit here and pretend everything was ok, not when his heart was breaking for love of Tai. Not when all of those he had grown to love were at risk because he was with them instead of Myotismon. It would have to be this way, he would leave now fueled by a fit of passion and hurt so that there would be no goodbyes, if only Tai would let him.

"No!" Tai growled lowly and pinned Yamato to the unrelenting stone wall in the blink of an eye. "Your wrong about all of it! You think I am afraid of what we are but the only thing I have ever been afraid of is loosing you!" His words were so low that there was no chance of any other overhearing them without powerful vampire hearing.

"Tai…" Yamato turned his face away, it wasn't true, it couldn't be. Besides even if by some miracle what Tai said was true it would only make leaving all the more painful. He didn't know what he was trying to say but even the name came out weak, he was loosing his fragile resolve.

"Yes you are a digidestined and we all rely on you but you are so much more Yama. You are my best friend in the whole world, you are my family and I would give up everything to be with you." Tais steely hold softened and his body fell in towards Matts until their chests were pressed together and their foreheads touched when Yamato was forced to turn back to him. "I know what I did was awful, that I was being selfish and I am sorry I hurt you but…" His deep chocolate eyes glistened with overflowing tears. "I had to, I was so afraid that I would loose you…please don't hate me Yama. I only wanted to stay with you, please." Tai begged. How had this happened? He never meant to say all those things, only to keep Yamato at his side. But when he said one thing the rest just poured out, if he didn't say it his breaking mental hold would have given the thoughts to Yamato anyway. Either way it was to late now to take it back, only wait for Yamatos disbelief and cold rejection of the dearest secrets of his heart.

But the voice of an angel with the freezing bite never came, no thoughts spilled from Yamatos mental barriers, the only reaction Taichi received for his efforts were two awkward arms wrapping about his shaking form, trying to comfort him.

"Tai…"Yamato finally spoke, "is that all true? Is that really what you think of me?" The arms were tightening; pulling Tai flush against the other boy. Tai managed a small nod in response.

"I would never lie to you Yama."

Yamatos hands threaded through Taichis unruly brown locks and pressed his head closer so Yamato could press a desperate kiss to his forehead.

"I'm sorry Tai, I didn't know, I mean how could I? We were always…"

"Fighting?" Tai offered dejectedly. This was it, the rejection he had been waiting for and he had not even revealed his biggest secret. He felt Yamato nod.

"I always thought I was just kind of here. That you were too nice to send me away but that I never really fit in, that I was not wanted. I never thought you would actually feel anything like I do for you."

"You mean you don't hate me?" Tai asked surprised, the shock giving him the strength to pull back from the embrace to gaze deeper into the crystalline blue eyes that glimmered even now in the dim light.

Yamato shook his head, he looked preoccupied, as if part of his mind where elsewhere, somewhere embarrassing to account for the light stain on his pale cheeks. "I never hated you. No matter what you did I couldn't find it in myself to hate you." He smiled now, a cold bitter smile of the memories that haunted his very been, made him doubt the words being spoken to him out of love for fear of rejection once more.

Tai hated watching Yamato like this, so in pain all the time, and all because of him. In his mind Tai knew he should stop talking, breath and wait for his twisted emotions to calm before he spoke again but Tai was never one to listen to his mind when his heart desired something.

"I didn't want to send you away! I mean I did send you but I did not enjoy it. I thought you had given up on me and I couldn't deal with it." Tais hands slipped down from Yamatos slender frame and traced down Yamatos arms until he held the soft hands in his own. "I didn't think you would care that we were not together but I do. We are together now and you will stay with me now, right Yama?" His eyes were pleading, begging for what he could not put into words, asking for the next week together and at the same time asking for eternity.

"I have to go." Yamato dropped Taichis hands and stepped away, closer to the exit. "Stay here, if I don't come back in two days leave and don't look back. You'll have to destroy Myotismon someday but do it when you are sure you can win."

"Stop it! Your acting like you aren't coming back, I wont let you leave!" Tai blocked the exit with has body as his hands fell heavily on the others slender shoulders. The touches were constant, like nothing they had ever done before but neither was going to complain. Every motion could be written of as a new part of their nature, given to them with the dark gift, when in reality that was their precious excuse to be close to the one they coveted above all else.

"I'm leaving and there is nothing you can do to stop me, if I don't go back to Myotismon he will know something is wrong and come after me."

"Then let him come after us! I will protect you!" Tais frantic voice clashed with the relatively calm reasonable tone of Yamato.

"Its not me I am worried about, he will kill you, not because you are a digidestined but because I made you." Yamato tried again to persuade Taichi, hoping fear for his immortal life would allow Yamato to go but there was no change in him, it was time for the low blows Yamato was hoping not to use against the brunet. "You have to stop being selfish Tai, last time you did this I was taken away. We have to think about the others too, we need to protect them."

Tai staggered back as if he had been struck, his mouth opening and closing in an imitation of speech but could find no words, Yamato only had to push that last bit further to achieve his ends.

"I had to live through this and I wont make them, just because you put me through this, this death, and then took it from me doesn't mean I will let you do the same to the others." That was it; Tais body hit the stone wall with a soft thud, his legs no longer holding him up. Yamato had preyed on all the weaknesses he had ever found in Tai, the hidden fear that inherently came with being leader of loosing one of his charges, the reminder of pain he blamed himself for and the partial deaths of both Yamato and himself. A swift kick with all of Yamatos ungodly powers would have been a softer blow than the cruel words tailored to destroy Taichis heart.

"What if he already knows? What if he saw us?" Yamato winced at the defeat in Tais voice, he had already given up the battle, this was his last stand before defeat.

"That's a risk I have to take, besides I don't think he really wants to kill me, I am his fledgling and without me he has no one." Yamato used words he had never heard another say. Maybe he had picked it up from Myotismons mind, it didn't really matter, how could something as simple as words matter when he was mentally ripping apart the only person he had ever really loved?

Yamato turned away to face the dim light at the entrance of the cave, he had to leave now, before the urge to drop to his knees and embrace Taichi where he lay became to overpowering.

"Wait!" Taichi called before he had taken more then a step, Yamato didn't turn to face the other but he halted his slow progress. Taichi ran in front of him, mouth open to speak but the words didn't come. He took a deep and what he hoped to be a calming breath, the desperation in Taichis eyes melted, replaced by a content sadness that reflected itself in the slow bitter smile. His hand gently brushed a stray lock of golden hair from Yamatos face. "Come back to me."

Taichis voice was small and fragile such as Yamato had never heard it, he didn't know what to say in response, to many things came to mind and each would lead to him delaying the inevitable, making it all more painful. "Goodbye Tai." With that he was gone, into the storm, he left with such speed that none of the others saw him go, they never had a chance to say their goodbyes and it was better that way. He could not say goodbye to Takeru who had already replaced him, what was the point in torturing himself more?

The storm exploded around him but did not hinder his travels in any way, within minutes he was within the castle walls, walking to where his room lay in one of the upper chambers. Yamatos was nearly there, only one more extravagantly decorated room and he would be there but it was not meant to be.

"Yamato!" Myotismons wrathful voice filled the room, pounding on Yamatos ears. The digimon was drawn up to his full height, dark wings expanded behind him so that he took up almost half the room with the dark wingspan. His face was twisted into something evil and gruesome, normally pallid skin was nearly purple with rage, his fangs glittered menacingly against crimson lips, he had just fed. "My own fledgling betrayed me!" He was enraged, his arm gestured violently at his side.

Yamato froze, he had been found out, this was the end not only for himself but also for Taichi and all of their friends. "I did not betray you! You must have watched all of this, you know what happened!" He found his voice and stood tall against this wrath, it would not end like this.

"But you did betray me young one, you created another without a thought of what it might bring unto me. I gave you power and beauty and life and this is how I am repaid?" There was no elegance in what Myotismon said, too far beyond the point of serenity or even the illusion of it to care about his usual poise. He knew something like this would happen, it was inescapable but it hurt nonetheless. This was the child he had chosen to bring to himself, to make a companion out of, his protégé, and before the first full night had passed Yamato had betrayed him, stuck the proverbial blade into his back. Even if there had been no allegiance to him in the first place was there not some bond between a maker and his child?

"No…" Darkness was enfolding Yamato, it came in waves off of Myotismon. It fogged his mind and slowed his movements, no he had not meant to do it, couldn't he understand? No don't hurt them, don't end their lives, they are mine, the other digidestined, don't touch them.

Myotismon walked slowly, meaningfully to where Yamato stood, grabbing the boys face in his strong delicate looking fingers. "You will learn your place in time, and time is all that we really have." He was not screaming or even on the verge of doing so, he was calm as an executioner telling the condemned their fate. "You will be punished for your insolence and then be returned to me." He dropped Yamatos chin, letting the boy fall to the plush carpet.

"And of the others?" Yamato didn't bother to stand up, only to sit himself up so as not to feel as weak as he felt.

"Their fate is no longer yours to decide."

"NO! You can't hurt them!" Yamato yelled franticly.

"But I can young one, I will do whatever I wish and you will learn to obey me like the rest." He paused. "You could have been my equal, my companion," Myotismon turned away. "Maybe in time I can train you to be so, you could have made this easier on all of us Yamato."

Yamato was frantic, he could not let this transpire, he had to do something, anything, but there was no time. Faster than he could imagine, even in his new body, he felt Myotismon pick him up and carry him through the castle, deep into the earth where Yamato had not dared to go. Yamato was thrown to the ground and in an instant he was alone.

Matt stood and looked at the little room he was in, it was the dungeon. The heavy stone walls were wet and he could hear dripping somewhere in the labyrinth on tunnels that composed the nearly medieval crypt. One wall was composed of nothing but sturdy metal bars, Yamato tried to pull these from their holds on the stone or even just to bend them but it was no use, Myotismon had known that escape from here was imposable. Yamato could feel his normally cold body overheat with panic as he paced the little cell. As he sat here idly Taichi could be dieing, Takeru could be running futilely for his precious mortal life. Each and every last person he had ever held dear could be within the grasps of evil incarnate itself, handed over to the devil himself on a silver plate by none other than Yamato. But for all the choices of the past he had fucked up none could be taken back, he could not change anything from this cold prison meant to break his soul and mind.

Nothing. There was nothing he could do and it was killing him. Blood tears rose in his eyes and fell down his pallid cheeks but he did not wipe them away, there was no purpose. If his friends were really dieing at the hands of Myotismon wouldn't he know it? Wouldn't some force of good in the universe be so offended at this massacre as to strike Yamato down where he stood? Wouldn't he hear the screams, as they died one by one with his godly hearing? No, too deep below the earths crust was he to here such sounds of life, not even rats would delve this deep. Only in his mind could he hear them die.

His mind! Powers he had not had time to explore and had still yet to unlock could tell him the fate of his friends if only he could figure out how. Yamato sat down in the middle of the cold stone room and closed his eyes, trying to shut out everything around him. 'Tai' Over and over he called out for his love with his mind but there was no response. It was not as if there was nothing to call to, he was being blocked mentally, Myotismon was restricting his powers. There was still a chance that even though they could not hear him his friends lived. After all Myotismon would loose something precious to him if Taichi and the others died. Precious, where had that come from? It had slipped from Myotismons mind as they spoke just a moment ago, unnoticed at the time by both of them, Yamato was precious to him. He was the end of loneliness, a dark companion that Myotismon had always longed for but never made. Which meant that even now Yamato held some power, Myotismon did not want to see him dead due to his own twisted souls desire for companionship. Surely Myotismon knew what would happen to Yamato if the others perished. If Takeru and Taichi ever died he would follow them willingly, immortal or no he would find a way.

Yamato lay down on unrelenting stone, his theory was thin at best, everything he ever held dear could be gone and he would never notice. There was nothing left for him to do, fragile as a mortal in this restrictive darkened room. The darkness his mind knew so well was coming back to him, driving him mad, madness, the release from pain and reality. What did it matter if he finally gave up on the light altogether and fell into this bliss? But madness was not an option as long as Taichi and Takeru lived, he had to be strong for them, madness was a beautiful ideal that he could never touch. Unnoticed by himself blood tears streamed down his face creating a thirst in his gut that he could not quench. Maybe this was the end.

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Well this isn't the last chapter anyway! . Anyone still reading, I am sorry and thanks! Please review, did I get rusty? Hope not but I would love the input, thanks and have a joyful everything! P.S. why cant i indent? Anyone know how to fix this? 


	7. Where you belong

Disclaimer: I own….nothing but do we have to keep rubbing that in my face? .

A/N: This chapter was easier to write so here we go…and thank you to all the people who reviewed your lovely! P.S. A lot of the little issues of life seem to be resolving themselves so the next chapter is not too far off. ENJOY!

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Yamato writhed on the jagged stone floor. Days had come and gone, Yamato fading in and out of consciousness, not knowing whether it was day or night or if an eternity had passed while he slept. There was nothing, no distraction, no humans or digimon or even rats for they had long ago been consumed in a fit of desperation. He had not fed in days, the thirst consumed him, in the precious time his mind was awake he could not think of escape or his endangered friends. A second might come by where he would think of Taichi and his heart would break all over again because he was not even thinking of the loved ones he had damned. But then the second would pass and another excruciating pain of hunger that no mortal could ever know would strangle his lithe body. All strength had long ago left him, Yamato could not capture the weakest victim even if it was set in his small prison, he could scarce move his hand from the biting floor. 

On and on this went and time was lost to Yamato, when Myotismon finally came to him he could not tell dream from reality or whether a lifetime had passed and all his beloved mortals had died a century ago. All that was left was pain. One night in this personal hell of repetitive nothingness a gift came to him, a cold dead creature that in the digital world should have scattered into data long ago. Before he had even decided what it was Yamatos body had pounced on it with strength he had not known he still possessed, sucking greedily at the cold nauseating blood he knew he should not drink. Like an insect, a parasite of the grave he sucked the corpse of all its nauseating blood.

The pain was worse than it had ever been. Instead of the gnawing hunger in his gut there was stabbing pain that felt as if it tore at his very innards. Blood vial rose in his throat and half the sad contents of his stomach emptied onto the floor in a puddle Yamato didn't have strength to rise out of. His vision blurred, only faint blobs of dark color remained to him, his head felt as if it were tearing in two. Laughter accompanied this hellish gift, weak voices of living creatures laughing from above but one of the voices was not laughing, it was speaking to him.

"Yamato, are you ready to join me?" The voice was kind; gentle on his throbbing head where the laughter made the pounding increase. He tried to speak although he didn't know what he was saying, but it didn't matter, nothing came out. More blood bile spilled from his mouth and he expected this voice to join the laughter but instead it stepped forth. Myotismon. Myotismon opened the heavy metal door and took Yamato into his arms, ignoring the blood seeping into his own elegant clothing. "We will see if things are easier on you now."

Yamato nodded, or at least tried to. He knew he was being taken back up all those stairs, back to the world above. But long before he made the journey all strength the sickening blood gave him abandoned him and he slipped back into darkness.

When Yamato awoke once more he found himself in the little room that had become his own, lying inside the open coffin. The window showed that it was early in the night; the sun still clung to window and crimson cloth with its forbidden warmth. Absently he wondered if he would ever miss the sun of the real world, after all he could walk about in day here and the digital sun was almost real enough. But the thought was quickly swept away; the mundane trials of eternity could undoubtedly wait.

The hunger pain was no longer enveloping him and the dead blood had left his system, he could remember feeding before, half awake and half unconscious, his body acting without thought beyond primal survival. Still he could feel that his body was weaker, not mortal but not superb either. Cautiously, almost timidly Yamato walked up to the full-length mirror, avoiding the reflection until he was directly in front of it.

His body was shrunken, skin pulled tight over less flesh but still beautiful, his cheeks had sunken and his eyes bulged from his face. Dried blood clung to his lips and ran down his throat and onto cloths that he could no longer recognize, so covered in filth and blood. In all he was not as bad off as he would have imagined, he was glad no to have seen himself in the cell. Yamato knew that seeing himself in that state would be as horrifying to him as it would be to a child, an undead thing gifted with unnatural beauty feasting on the corpses of the dead. Now that was truly horrifying.

He had taken in the blood of those long dead, he was not surprised that he had lived but that they had not scattered their data. Myotismon was more powerful and crueler than Yamato had thought possible. He could go into the very code of the digital world and extend the existence of a body before it went back into the digital world just to make Yamatos punishment that much more excruciating. Myotismon had no remorse. No sympathy, things were undoubtedly darker than they had been before this revelation, for what held him from killing those Yamato held dear?

Yamato ignored the fresh cloths laid out for him and ran from the room, pushing past heavy wooden doors that he barely saw. He knew where Myotismon was, felt his presence two floors down and would find him now. Little sniveling digimon flashed by him but he ignored the easy victims, there would be time for that when he knew what had happened to his friends.

Myotismon was leaning against the far wall, watching with interest as Yamato burst into the room. He grinned, his sharp white fangs falling just over his bottom lip.

"What did you do to them?" Yamato stalked up to the imposing figure and growled out the words.

"You have not even bothered to change, do you like the feel of dried blood on your skin?" Myotismon looked over the raggedy figure before him. Yamato fumed, the bastard was dragging this out on purpose.

"The digidestined, what happened to them after you threw me in that prison? Takeru, Taichi, where are they?" His voice dripped with hatred, the memories of excruciating pain fresh in his mind and worry for his friends clutching painfully at his heart.

"They are no longer your concern, you lost that privilege when you went against me and made another."

"Where are they?" Matt had long ago lost his temper and his voice filled the room.

"I did what you failed to do. I sent them home, far away from here."

"Home…" Yamatos breath caught in his throat. If Taichi had been dumped back in the real world in the sun…"and Tai?" Myotismons face went to one of slight amusement to sorrowful empathy.

"The child of courage no longer exists." Myotismon put a comforting hand on Yamatos shoulder but the blond tore away from him.

"What?" Yamato breathed the word, Taichi was not dead, his heart and mind failed to accept the simple fact so that all he could do was whisper the soft question. If Myotismon had truly been the end of Tai there was all of eternity to seek revenge but now there was still hope that the other still lived if living is what you could call this existence.

"I had nothing to do with the boys demise. I sent all of them home, into the dark sanctuary of an abandon warehouse where he would have been safe if only he had stayed there." Myotismon stepped closer to the other but did not reach out to him. "I would have spared him so that you could live as you were meant to here without his death hanging over your head. The moment he arrived in the real world he ran outside just behind the others to escape me although I did them no harm." Yamato took a shaky step backwards, his hand clutching compulsively at his heart. "I don't think he even knew the light would burn him."

"No." Yamato couldn't breath, couldn't see. Crimson tears streamed down his face, it was not true, it couldn't be. "You're lying. If he was dead I would know it!" He screamed desperately, lashing out as Myotismon tried to calm him.

"I saw it myself, he died instantly, a ball of fire and then nothing." Myotismons voice did not gloat or drag out the words to cause unnecessary pain, there would be no point.

"I don't believe you! I want to see the others, to speak with them!" Yamato thought of nothing now, his mind was gone, shut down to halt the pain threatening to tear him apart; he would not survive the death of Taichi. There was only one way to survive, this ordeal, to not believe Myotismon, to hope that such beauty as Tais face still lived on in the universe. He would trust in his heart, the heart that told him, screamed at him, that Tai was alive and all he had to do was find him.

"It is impossible for you to speak to them. Remember that the time in the real world is different, if you waited out the day in the warehouse they were left in and then under the cover of darkness found the digidestined you would return to find the digital world demolished, Years would have passed here with no one to rule because I would need to be with you, to open the gate to this world once more."

"But…" Yamato fell to his knees and buried his tear stained face in his hands. This was too much, he could not just abandon this world but to watch over it he would not be able to return home or even visit with his little brother or search for Taichi in the real world.

"Go, feed and change, tonight I will tell you anything you ask of me and tomorrow night we will begin to take back the digital world together." Unnaturally gentle hands ushered Yamato out the door and all the way to his little room where he was left alone.

"No." Yamato wanted to collapse on his bed and never get up again but there was no bed, only a coffin. He knew this, it was a fact he was use to by now, but it didn't make it hurt any less. This was a horrible nightmare and he would wake up alone in his bed at home any moment now, none of this could really happen. He could not have turned into a vampire, he would not have fallen in love and he would certainly not have lost that love before saying anything about it although it enveloped everything that he is. Only, this hell is by no means a dream, it is the sad collaboration of truths that make up Yamatos life but he would not accept that. All of the evil things that had been done to him his entire life would not compare to the loss of Taichi, it was an unfathomable evil to even think of one so perfect gone forever, to never hold Taichi in his arms, never tell him all the things he had longed to say but out of fear stayed quiet. Yamato thought that news of Taichis death would have destroyed him instantly, that he would have simply stopped living and fallen to the ground dead but he knew that the truth had not sunk in and probably never would, Taichi could not be gone.

Yamato slid out of the soiled cloths and into the soft black outfit that lay folded neatly near by. He wiped the blood from his pallid skin with ease; dirt did not cling to this preternatural skin as it did to mortal skin. He was becoming more like himself with every moment, gone was the whimpering boy of hours ago, replaced by the appealingly self confident cold Yamato Ishida. It took only minutes to find a suitable victim, an evil digimon whose thoughts were shallow and dark, no real loss of the digital world, just another flutter of data lost in the mix.

Myotismon was waiting for him when he entered the room. Yamato walked up to him silently, ignoring the others eyes searching the newly cleaned body and apparently approving.

"I don't believe you. Even if you did send the digidestined back I do not believe Tai is dead, I am going to look for him." His voice and face were trained now; they gave away nothing of his thoughts.

"And how long will you search for something that is not there? How many years will it take for you to believe?"

"The rest of eternity." The answer came out as easy as the rest of it, Yamato knew as he said it that he would search until the end of the world itself and then he would move on to the next world and continue his search there. No creature, mortal or no could hinder his quest, death could try to grab him, steal him away with burning light but he would escape it because somewhere he knew Tai was doing the same even if it was not for him.

"It comes as no surprise to me that you would say that but all to soon you will forget. You can stay here in your quest and help when it catches your fancy to do so."

"Why? Why would you help me like that instead of locking me away again?"

"Because I know that you will give in and that one day you will be the companion I want you to be. Because this will train you as well as anything of what we are. Go off and look for your friend, suffer the injustices of the digital world, in the end you will come back to me."

Yamato turned and walked from the room, he did not need to hear this from someone he hated; he knew he was right and no one would convince him otherwise.

Myotismon smiled as Yamato walked out the door. He would never know the truth, never know what really happened to Taichi. He had almost been sorry to give up on the child of courage. He was the exact opposite of Yamato but held a beauty all his own, a beauty he did not think could exist in the world of the undead. If Yamato was dark than Tai was light. Of course both boys hated him with a passion but that would all change in time. Disappointments after disappointment would send Yamato back to him, desperate to cling onto anything that would have him and Myotismon would be waiting. In the blink of an eye when all of time lay before you Yamato would be dependent on him, unable to leave and Myotismon would no longer be alone. He would be the oldest and wisest and most powerful but he would not be alone.

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Thanks again for all of you who reviewed and liked my story! (You guys rock!) The next few chapters are all planned out, inspiration has struck, so please, REVIEW! Our poor tortured Yamato wants you to! 


	8. Of Life and Death

Disclaimer: I own…absolutely nothing, never have, never will, at this point its just fun to say.

Warnings: Nothing that has not been in earlier chapters, swearing, ext.

A/N: Yes I know, bad, bad writer but the flu will do this to you, bile and electronics don't mix well.

IMPORTANT- For those of you who would not remember references to the series accurately enough to help you here… mini spoiler The first one with Tai is when Tai has the crest of courage and force feeds Agumon and forces him to digivolve into something strange and unnatural then proceeds to flip out. The second is all taito lovers fav. Yamato and Tai right after the group was split up for the first time, molest…I mean fighting each other. Notes done, hope that helps (I had to go look it up actually .) so ON WITH THE SHOW.

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Yamato wandered all regions of the digital land, never lingering in any one place longer than a night. Meals were easy to come by, foolish black hearted digimon that Yamato felt no empathy for did not cause him any pain to kill or the digital world any substantial loss. One less creature to stamp out the life of one not as evil as itself and not even for the purpose of survival, the mortal coil of taking death seemed lost to him in the endless lonely nights. For weeks he would travel until the cloths he wore became stained with the blood of his victims and his own blood sweat, and the heavy fabric tore on his inhuman frame that seemed to grow ever whiter as the nights passed. The almost vain Yamato of the past no longer existed, in place of the prince of darkness that shone beautifully for a heart he so longed to capture was now a dark vagabond with tangled golden hair as bright as the sun he rarely saw. It was not his state of dress that brought Yamato to Myotismons door for he would have gone until all the cloths fell off his body and still marched on in the never ending search for his lost love. It was the darkness he knew in life and now knew in death. His soul called out for another, for weeks he would ignore the steady call until it became too unbearable and his heart hurt with the very effort of living. On his own in the covering mask of darkness he knew it was Taichi his soul so desperately screamed for but that could not happen, yet his soul and heart would not listen.

At such a time when Yamato had nearly forgotten how to speak and he was dark as he had ever been and longing for death with every fiber of his being he came to Myotismons ever open doors. This was not forever, he would never let Myotismon take any place in his heart but he knew as a dieing creature knows its fate that if he did not let himself have this little comfort he would be lost and what hope would he be for Taichi and the others then?

Myotismon never gloated or shoved it in Yamatos face that he had been right, that every visit brought Yamato closer to him, bound them tighter though they both felt it. He only took in the raggedy boy and brushed out his soft locks, clothed him in the finest material he could find and allowed free rein of his castle. They would meet and talk together in their minds and with words, Myotismon only ever speaking with kindness to draw Yamato further into his clutches. They spoke of the real world and the digital world, the future and the past, they would speak until sunrise and Yamatos eyes would grow heavy and the death sleep would come until nightfall came to wake him. Two or three days of conversation seemed enough to ensure Yamatos sanity and he would be on his way.

Months passed in this horrible way with precious little to show for it. Yamato had visited nearly every place the little group of digidestined had traveled. He found nothing but old friends they had made in their travels, eager to talk to him but he always disappeared before they could get out the first words of greeting. With all leads gone dry and no special place to look Yamato was persuaded to tag along with groups of Myotismons men. Myotismon said it would be good for him to be with others even if it was not him in what had become their luxurious castle. Yamato decided that it would be best to watch the edge of Myotismons land, Taichi could be there, waiting to be found, unable to break in undetected.

Yamato led a large band of nearly mindless evil digimon under Myotismons control. He was a silent leader, always stepping back and letting the digimon do what they needed and then moving on. There had been no sign of any of those he had ever loved for months now, but miles of land lay unsearched and another world lay beyond this, nothing could convince him of Taichis death but the dead boy in his arms. So he marched on, staying out for longer spans of time with these groups of followers he learned to loathe. There was no beauty in Myotismons followers, they held no hopes or dreams of their own, they loved only pain and knew only serving their master and lord. But it was not his place to judge these damned creatures for he was the true killer, in all of their lives and all the murders they committed they could not begin to compare with Yamatos life as a vampire.

Yamato led the digimon deep into the unexplored jungle. Scouts had come back with reports of a building hiding under the cover of the trees just out of Myotismons land. It was another area, another place to look futilely for those lost.

The building was barely visible in the heavy foliage; as if no one was suppose to find the cute wooden building. In all the long months Yamato explored he had never seen any dwelling such as this, the most promising place he had seen. His heart fluttered with hope as his mind called out for taichi. He received no response but even the simplest magical barrier could account for that. Yamatos breathing quickened even as he tried to slow it, if this was another dead end he would be crushed and end up back in Myotismons arms. He could not afford to get his hopes up, he had to be the unfeeling bastard he tried so hard to be. But his soul would not listen; it rebelled with a force Yamato had not yet felt.

As the beautiful blond stood outside the little structure trying to calm his betraying body the digimon soldiers did what they always did when Yamato stood back. They had filed into the place minutes ago and now scoured the first floor of the building. Yamato decided the time was right and walked in the main entrance. The rooms were barren from what he could see in this grand hallway, cobwebs collected dust elegantly in the corner, this place felt more like a tomb than a home. His heart sunk in his chest and he felt that his strength might abandon him and he would fall to the floor when a scream resonated through the first floor. In a rush of motion too fast to see Yamato had found the source. Even with preternatural speed Yamato was too late, he came in time to see the twinkling scattering of data from a small creature that lay at the feet of his own soldiers.

In the last seconds of life a creature is simply what it is, all fear is gone because there is no alternative, it is simply to late for fear. There are images of a lifetime being remembered, voices and ideas shared and lost, and most importantly an overall feeling of good or evil or that confusing point in between. Yamato caught this wisp of fleeting life and tears rose in his eyes. This digimon was not the kind he fed on nightly, this was not a shallow evil creature of darkness but a creature of the light that resonated good in all its forms for the last moment that it mattered. These brutes that stood around him had killed a beautiful creature, a creature like his Tai.

Yamato was in a craze, he did not care that he had led these digimon or even that the only home left to him by Myotismon could be closed if he acted rashly. In a flurry of motion every last one of his soldiers was locked within the house, too dim witted to understand the true horror of what was going on. Yamato slammed the final door shut behind him as he walked out to the temporary camp and took up a torch from one of the little fires. In the blink of an eye Yamato lit the dry wood of the house, aiding the little flame with his mind until it sang with the crackle of burning wood. Piercing screams broke the night air as the digimon realized that they were being burned alive. Some called out for each other in something akin to love as others called out for Yamato to save them. Yamato could hear the thoughts of these simple minds, their masters' helper would save them, they were Yamatos men, and he needed them, their once human lord would save them all. Some perished thinking they would be saved as others realized the truth and begged forgiveness for something they could not think of as wrong, none of those begging even knew what they had done to invoke this fury. Yamato would have been horrified at the sight before him, haunted by the screams that filled his head but he was still fueled with rage and a reasoning that would hold in his impassioned state. If these creatures who killed indiscriminately had come upon taichi they would kill him with as much sorrow as they had killed the little digimon, if Takeru had fallen into their path they would think nothing of tearing the little body.

The fire licked up the heavy stairs but the screams had stopped for the most part. All of the digimon had been on the first floor, killed in the initial blaze of fire and heat. The fire was consuming the rest of the house now, fire danced out the windows and up the plain walls. Yamato turned away from this massacre that reeked of burning flesh and hair, willing to go off again by himself until the time came where he would need Myotismon once again but a fresh scream penetrated the night, a scream that was entirely different from those of the dying soldiers. It came again, as strange sounding as the first, a sound so familiar but so far away from him at the same time, the scream of a human. He would have lifted himself through the very window if he had had the chance but strong arms caught him up against a cold unrelenting chest.

"The fire will kill you too." Myotismon said as he struggled to hold the screaming Yamato. Matt could form no words at first, he was to horrified by the entire situation. There was a human bean in that building, the building he had set on fire and now they were trapped in it. No thoughts accompanied the scream, Yamato had been right there was a magical barrier on part of the house. He strained his godlike hearing trying to analyze the sound of the scream, match it to a voice and a face, hear the steady beat of a heart or the soft inhale of lungs that he could not hear over his own struggling and the collapsing house.

"TAI! TAKERU! ANYONE!" Yamato screamed at the house, desperate for a response and at the same time not wanting one, if it was one of his friends in the house…"Let me GO!" Yamato redoubled his efforts but it was no use, Myotismon was far to strong for him to take on by himself.

"It is no use, anyone in there is lost, there is nothing left to do but wait." Myotismon was right of course, Yamato would have died in the blaze too had he gone in after the phantom screams. No more cried came from the collapsing building, no hint or trace of life in any form. Myotismon stood with Yamato tucked safely in his arms watching the fire burn down.

"No…Tai…Takeru…let me go." Yamato sunk into the strength behind him and let himself be held up. There was nothing he could do but watch the fire eat at what remained of the little wooden house. There was nothing to hear but the crackling of wood, no smell but timber and singed flesh because there was no time for the bodies of the fallen to roast in the open flame before their data was scattered to the wind. It was almost an hour before Yamato felt the arms around him loosen.

Matt struggled not to fall to the ground, he stumbled forward straight into the heart of the smoldering ruins. He stood very still, willing something to tell him what had become of the person he heard or at the very least who it was but there was nothing. Scraps of material burned into nothingness around him, what appeared to have once been blankets, there had been multiple people here. Myotismon stayed away and for that Yamato was glad, he did not need an audience for his pain, his downfall.

When Yamato was sure nothing of consequence would be found and he was all but ready to leave something glinted softly from the blackened ground. A compass. Taichis compass. There was no way, Tai was not suppose to be in this world, not suppose to be alive, there was no way for Yamato to have killed him in this blaze. His mind spun and his body collapsed. It was not possible but he had done it, he killed the only one he ever loved.

The sun could have risen and taken him from eternity at that moment and it would mean nothing, Yamato would welcome the fiery blaze as his victims had not, hell, heaven, or nothingness, it would not matter. Hell would have been more comforting than to remain to have his broken heart destroyed for a second time. Yamatos knee hit something hard, something blackened with soot but undoubtedly green. Takerus hat. There was no pain, no sorrow or guilt, no comprehension that everything he loved in life had died by his hand. He did not even notice as he clutched the items to his chest and the evil little words fell from his lips.

"I killed Takeru and Taichi." Then there was nothing but darkness.

He was so warm he didn't want to move or let go of this beautiful feeling, he didn't want to wake but he could not remember why not.

"Drink my lovely one."

Something warm and savory rushed into his mouth, a wondrous fount of life itself. He could feel it warming him from the inside out, comforting him and lulling him into a daze beyond the reach of the world. Yamato did not feel himself moving or the blood flow stop but it must have because when he opened his eyes the world around him was different. This was not the castle he had glimpsed through the cloud in his blood lusting mind or the lush forest where he had committed crimes that no deity could ever excuse him for, this was the real world.

Yamato stood a little shorter than normal, the strange height of a child who has just gained the ability to turn on a faucet alone but suffers intensely in trying to turn it back off. He was in the house he shared with his family in the time he was truly this tall. For years he had not gazed on these walls but the details rushed back to him as if he had never left. The walls were cracked and dotted with holes from where things were thrown and opened up the brittle plaster or where his father had punched a hole straight through. Cloths and junk littered the floor; perilous little items that would slice open your feet if you were not careful. Somewhere a TV was blasting a movie that no one was watching but all were pretending to.

Everything felt so incredibly normal it was amazing to behold. Yamato walked through the house until he found them, his whole family all seated within a few feet of each other. His mother was on the computer in the other room while his father and Takeru watched the movie, ready to leap from their seats if need be, his mother was on edge. Matt smiled at the tense form of Tk; Takeru was alive and well and still needed him desperately. It took only a few idle seconds for the peaceful scene to blow, his mother up and screaming, gaining steam on a rant he knew she had been planning out in her head for minutes. Same as always. His father stood and started screaming back and Takeru who never seemed to get use to it was having a hard time breathing through all the tears and soft sobs. Yamato climbed up onto the couch and took his little brother into his arms. This was not a normal fight, this was the fight. For twenty minutes it raged on, Yamato protecting Takeru from poorly thrown objects with his own body, knowing it wasn't safe but not wanting to miss the inevitable, try to prevent it like he knew he could have if only he was smart enough. He wasn't listening to them anymore, it was the same as always, 'it's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair'. Yes, Yamato wanted to scream at his mother, its not fair but is it fair what you are doing to us? She always fought through Tk and himself, couldn't she think of another way? And he did scream, turning his mothers viscous attention on him. Takeru was being ripped from his arms, he was sobbing again. Yamato called out to him that it would be ok, that he would be back soon even as he was pulled out the door by his fathers strong hand on his arm, but they would not be together again until years later.

No. He had to go back, it was his fault, he could have changed what happened, stayed quiet, stayed with Tk. But the world around him faded and the blood was back, warm and inviting as ever.

"Only a little while longer little one, hold on." Myotismons voice was heavy and deep like a caress and all it took to send Yamato back from the reality he did not have a chance to grip.

He was in the digital world, standing with the digidestined at his side as they watched a mutated Skullgreymon version of Agumon nearly crush them after having obliterated the actual enemy. Just before its mammoth foot crushed them into nothingness the creature dedigivolved back into the sane little yellow dinosaur they all loved. No one knew what to do, there were no physical injuries so care for, Agumon was tired but it was no big hindrance for a digimon that could bounce back in the span of three minutes. Despite this lack of injury, Taichi, their fearless leader was on his knees sobbing on the shoulder of his digital partner.

The others turned away, not wanting to let Tai know they saw him in such a state and not wanting to see their leader in a state of weakness. But Yamato could not turn away.

"Tai." Deep chocolate eyes looked up at him, glittering with tears whose counterparts flooded down the tan face.

"I'm sorry, I failed you." The voice was broken almost beyond recognition and it broke Yamatos heart to hear it. Watching Tai like this was like watching an angel fall from grace. "I'm sorry. I did not mean for this to happen. You told me but…I just wanted to protect you." Tai ducked his head and hid his face in his hands and Agumon took a seat near by, gesturing for Yamato to speak.

"Tai no one blames you." He dropped to his knees so he could more easily gaze into those sorrowful eyes. He wanted to say so much more but he just couldn't, it would be to hard to say that he could not blame someone he loves. "You did what you thought was best, we all know you were only trying to protect us."

"But you could have died, I risked all your lives and you told me I was wrong, you knew!" Tai sobbed, not really hearing what Yamato was saying. "And now you'll hate me because I'm a horrible leader, I failed you. Takeru could have died because of me and now you'll never forgive me." Taichi looked as if Yamato was about to hit him, Matt could see it in his face, Tai really expected the blows to rein down on his sobbing form.

"Tai listen to me!" Yamato grabbed Taichis shoulders and shook him gently until he was sure he had his attention. "I don't hate you and I don't blame you! None of us do!"

"Really?" Taichi sniffed a little, trying to stop the tears.

"If I hated you do you think I would be sitting here right now?" Tai looked surprised, he had not thought of it that way. The surprise faded and to Yamatos horror the tears threatened to spill again. He wanted to cry himself but before he could break down by looking on such a sorrowful sight Tai was in his arms.

"I was sure you would hate me Yama. I knew the others would forgive me eventually but I was so afraid I lost you forever. Please don't hate me. No matter what happens never hate me."

Tai had only ever through the entire ordeal thought of Yamato. During the fight he sought to protect not only but especially the blond and his younger brother. Then when all hell broke loose and the blame fell to Tai he was worried that Yamato would hate him. If the others hated him he could live with it, it would be no more than an inconvenience but if Yamato hated him, time itself would stop and the world would freeze in its path around the sun because life would be no more.

Yamato took a deep breath, he didn't want the moment to end, this beautiful memory of days gone by. The blood had stooped and a delicate hand was petting his hair, coaxing him back to this world long enough to convey a simple message.

"Once more my lovely one." Yamato could not refuse this help, to refuse meant to remember, to think, and dwell in this consuming darkness. A long white throat lay just in front of him, he could feel the vein pulsing beneath the skin. After all this time there was still blood left enough for him to drink his fill. Yamato sunk his fangs deep into the flesh and sucked greedily at the blood offered to him. His body latched on to the others but his mind was free to wander back to its paradise of broken dreams.

It was so cold here, the snow beneath his feet crunched menacingly, constantly reminding him that he was not dressed for such weather. Gabumon stood back at the mouth of the cave with Agumon, they did not want to come out, they hated it when he and Tai fought.

Taichi was screaming at him, it didn't matter what because everything he yelled back was meaningless bullshit meant only to hurt the brunette and hopefully distract him long enough to fix his cracking mask. Not once in this damnable world had his mask failed him and he would not let it fail now when everything seemed to depend on it.

He had no idea who threw the first punch but they were rolling around in the bitingly cold snow now, fighting for the upper hand that Yamato was quickly loosing. The same cold and sickness that was working on his mind was taking a toll on his body. It was only a matter of time before Tai ended up on top, fist poised to utterly destroy Yamato. At that point of defeat none of it mattered anymore, let Tai think he was weak if he wanted, anything to keep him from seeing the truth. Yamato felt the tears falling down his face because the wind made the comforting heat in them turn cold so fast. He closed his eyes, waiting for the fist that he knew must come but never did.

"Yamato…you're crying." Taichi was beyond shocked, Yamato Ishida was cold and uncaring and he would never under any circumstance show emotion, let alone cry.

That was all it took to break Yamatos fragile mental barrier. Secret after secret poured from his quaking lips. He worried about Takeru, his beautiful little charge who needed to be looked after but it was not just that. Without TK to look after what was left for him? Later Yamato would feel as alone as he ever did for having told Taichi this, for letting him know some real fact that made Yamato Yamato, but right then, weaknesses bared for the one he would never want to show weakness to, everything was alright, he was not so very alone. How shocked Tai looked to hear this outpour of emotion, he never even knew the cliff they were on was cracking until they were in free fall and he wrapped himself around Yamato instinctively, protecting the blond from any harm on impact.

How beautiful and painful a memory that was but still Yamato fought not to leave it. Painful though it may be it was glorious, Tai was with him then in more ways than he had been any day prior. It was then he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would never love any the way he loved Taichi Yagami.

"Sleep now my lovely one, everything is alright now." The deep soft words tore the fabric of Yamatos reality until there was nothing left. They sat together in the dark lonely castle Yamato had learned to call home, a chamber deep within its stone walls that Yamato had not ventured to before, Myotismons bedchamber. The fount of calming blood was gone and there was nothing to keep the flood of memories at bay, the smell of fire and singed flesh, the ashes covering the little hat and delicate compass, the scream of a human about to loose their life.

Night passed into day and the transition to the death sleep went unnoticed by Yamato. By the time the moon had risen the next night and the sun was safely hidden behind the digital worlds lush forest Yamato was closer to darkness than he had ever been. The deaths of Takeru and Taichi were not within his ability to comprehend, instead it was a constant source of pain and bewilderment but it was enough, even in the early stages of denial, to send Yamato from the physical world and end his immortal life in a ball of fire. When he stood that night and left Myotismons side without a backward glance he understood one thing, all that was beautiful in the world was dead and soon he would join Tai wherever creatures such as themselves go in death.

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That's enough Yamato for awhile don't you think? Next chapter TAICHI. Yes he is BACK! Please review, I need to know if I was too off in my own little world or if it is understandable. For all of you who did and do review, I LOVE you! I have never left a story unfinished yet and I never will! 


	9. Without You

Disclaimer: I own…..the voices in my head and absolutely nothing else.

Warnings: Nothing you have not seen before.

A/N: This is Taichis story from the time him and Yamato split ways and we followed only Yamato.

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(WHEN AND WHERE) Taichi and Yamato say their goodbyes in the cave, still hiding from Myotismon.

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"Come back to me." Tai heard his voice falter and shake but it didn't matter, he had to make sure the message got across, make sure Yamato returned to him. But it didn't work, Yamato made no acknowledgment of the fragile plea and with nothing more than a cold acknowledgment of their parting he was gone.

"Goodbye Tai."

He did not stop to bid the others farewell, he never even looked back. And there was certainly no promise of return.

Tai slid to the ground, leaning against the cold unrelenting stone wall in the surrounding darkness. One day, for one day Tai had done the impossible and brought Yamato back to him and in that one day done the unthinkable and let him go. This beautiful golden haired creature of the night had crushed Taichis heart as if it were nothing and left him with an air of a tragic hero so Tai could not say a word in defense. Yes, Yamato had gone to save them all, gone to assure Myotismon that everything was as it should be because the blond would not see his friends harmed. Yamato would not let the others fall pray to Myotismon either for food or dark company. When Yamato told him he would not allow another to become like them, a vampire, Tai could hear the pain and anger in the others voice. Tai had forced Yamato to give this life to him, completely against Yamatos wishes, he was the reason Yamato lost his life in the first place and Yamato had no delusions about who the blame fell to.

Taichi tried not to think about all the little reasons Yamato had to leave him, all the pain he had caused Yamato, all the mistakes he had made. Instead he told himself to believe what he knew to be a beautiful lie. Yamato had gone only to save the others, to save him, from Myotismons wrath and soon they would be together again plotting against this evil.

Blood tears streamed down his face, leaving trails of crimson across his face. It almost comforted him, this act of crying, it was familiar and warm, not a completely uncomfortable act because it was not deep heaving sobs but silent tears that do not yet have a reason to be spilt, after all they were all still alive, in a way. Soft padding footsteps were coming close to him, one of the others. Taichi was glad for the darkness; he knew he must look like a monster, blood rivulets streaming down his face.

"Yama? Tai? I can't see anything." Takerus sweet child like voice filled his ears.

"I'm here Tk, what is it?" The young blond was only a step away, aided on his way over to Taichi by a lazy and thankfully tear free hand.

"The storm outside is getting worse and bats are everywhere, the others think Myotismon knows we are here. They sent to me to tell you and ask if we should move."

Myotismon knows. Taichi knew in his heart it was true the moment it came from Takerus lips but he had to see for himself. With inhuman speed taichi was at the mouth of the cave. Myotismons faceless black bats whirled in the air just above the cave, they had been found.

A million worries for Yamato erupted in Taichis mind but he suppressed them all. There was nothing he could do for Yamato right now and he had to trust that the other was still alive. He had to get the others out of the cave and as far away from here as possible, he would not prove himself an incompetent leader once more, he would save the others as he had failed to save Yamato.

"No one say a word, be as quiet as you can and follow me." Taichi spoke softly but commandingly to the little group. He could not carry them all to safety, it would take to long and he was not willing to part with any of them for any length of time.

Tai led the way out of the cave as quietly as possible and the bats took no notice of them at all; for one glorious second it looked as if they would escape. Everyone was out of the cave, Tai keeping count and watching for enemies when the sky turned black with the wings of bats.

Myotismon appeared in whirl of bats so thick that even Taichi could not see if he was made of the swirling creatures or ran with preternatural speed into their mists. Tai took a step forward and motioned for the others to move behind him. As they all ran into position Myotismon just looked on. He seemed even paler than he had before, his cheeks slightly sunken as if he had gone through much toil as of late and fed very little.

"What do you want Myotismon?" Taichi yelled across the little distance separating him from the one bringing them all of this pain. He wanted to scream at him for taking Yamato, to demand Yamato back and leave them alone but he did not want to offer any information so he bit his tongue and waited for the other to speak.

Myotismon watched the little group thoughtfully, mainly the nearly hysterical brunet that led them. "So my little fledgling did not do as badly as I had feared." He spoke more to himself than anyone but Taichi took it upon himself to respond anyway.

"None of this was his idea, I made him do it, and if you so much as touch him for it I will kill you personally." Taichi stepped forward again, eyes blazing.

Myotismon smiled, letting his fangs glint in the dim light. Maybe there was use for this boy after all. "You are a spirited one, stupid but brave. What makes you think you could even harm me? Or that I have not already killed Yamato for his impudence?" This seemed to shock Taichi as the fire in his eyes flashed with something that was gone to quickly to define.

"He is alive I can feel it, otherwise you would already be dead." Taichi growled but to his dismay Myotismon laughed.

In all Myotismons long years he had no problem killing to keep himself alive. The creatures he took where dim witted and rarely even knew that they were in deaths cold embrace and thought it all a lovely dream until their least breath. This was the way he planned to dispose of the child of courage. Take the boy into himself until there was no blood left in the fragile newly dead body and Yamato would be irreversibly his. But here he ran into a small hitch. Myotismon had never expected to feel this sudden attraction to the boy. When he looked on the brunet he did not see Yamatos betrayal but his own blood perfecting this human body, making it more like himself. This was not one of his mindless victims; this was a living ball of fire. This was not the nearly broken spirit of Yamato whom he had chosen; this one could last through the ages with a fire unsurpassed. This was a creature of substance, no, not a creature, a vampire of his lineage, this child was his very own.

"Yamato did very well in making you, hardly as weak as I would have thought." Myotismon circled taichi slowly, examining him as if he was something of value to be bought or traded away. Tai stood his ground, glaring at Myotismon as he walked slowly around him. Myotismon stopped and looked for the first time into Taichis eyes.

"Leave and never come back. I will give you and these children passage to the real world just as Yamato waned it. In return for sparing your lives I will come and go as I please without a word of retaliation from anyone." Myotismon stopped and carefully read Taichis mind. He wanted to bring the others home, that was true enough but not without Yamato.

"I don't care what you want or your stupid deal. You are going to give Yamato to me now!" Taichi fumed, trying desperately to keep his mind even as his heart felt as if it would burst.

"Yamato has agreed to rule with me in return for your safety. I can take much better care of him here where he will never miss the light of day and will never know the pain of feeding on humans as you will suffer nightly. I can take away all of his pain as you cannot, would you rob him of this peaceful life so he could suffer with you? All the pain you have given can be taken away if only you release him and go live your own life. Make new vampires if you like, you will all feel the pain he will never have to." Myotismon ripped the thoughts from Taichis mind and laid them out in a beautiful illusion, with a little push of his mind Myotismon knew the boy would agree, he was still too young to protect himself from mental attacks.

Taichi nodded slowly, completely unable to speak. Myotismon on the other hand was happier than he had been in all the long ages of his life. He possessed his beautiful dark prince in the castle in which they would live forever, ready to be manipulate into loving him, and now he possessed his beloved ones polar opposite, a fiery beauty who would suffer like none other, engulfed in love and self hatred he would live for eternity while Myotismon watched over them both, no longer alone.

"You will be dropped in a warehouse in the city you once lived in. You will stay there until nightfall because this sun will cut down your immortal life in a ball of fire. Stay in the shadows and sleep there, the others may go as they please." Taichi nodded mutely, his eyes empty, the fire that made everyone who saw him fall in love with him gone for the moment, lost in confusion and pain due to the mental manipulation and constant reminders of how he hurt Yamato.

Before anyone could move a muscle, before another breath could be taken they were standing in a dark musty room that felt undeniably like the real world. The mortal children blinked furiously, confused by the change and blinded by the darkness but Taichi could see everything. But Tai did not need to see anything because he could hear it. Myotismon spoke into his mind as if he was whispering it in his ear.

'I will return someday.' Then he was gone, back through the portal he created for himself because he would not linger in this world, just a minute here meant ages to those in the digital world.

The second Myotismon disappeared the fog in Taichis mind lifted and he had no desire to be home. The others could stay here if they wished but he would not abandon Yamato to the darkness of the digital world. He would put his life on the line if need be but he would rescue Yamato.

"I'm coming Yama!" The suffocating darkness was broken by a stream of light coming from Taichis hip, his digivice was glowing as it did before Agumon digivolved but this time the light did not surround the little digimon but shot straight outwards.

"I'm coming too!" Takerus sweet voice chimed in as he found his way to Tai and held out his glowing digivice in the palm of his hand. The beams found each other in the dark and mingled to form one beautiful column of light. The rest of the digidestined looked down at their own glowing digivices and knew without a doubt among them they had to return. It was not yet time to go home, if they returned now both worlds would be destroyed, what use could returning to a doomed home do any of them?

Taichi grinned and watched the others surround the tunnel of light, this time he would do things right. He would return each of these children home alive and well, he would not let anything befall them this time around.

It was nothing like traveling to the digital world the first time from their summer camp. There was no falling or waking up in a strange land. Color surrounded then with such vigor none of the world around them could be seen and when they opened there eyes it was not a lush green tropical forest they stood in, it was a little wooden room and they were not alone.

"Hello Digidestined!" A familiar voice called softly to them, drawing the attention of the group. "I'm glad to see you have all returned of your own free will." Gennais voice had a somber note to it where it usually rang with unfaltering joy, he knew everything that had happened, Tai saw it in his eyes.

"We have to find Yamato, do you know where he is?" Taichi couldn't be bothered with greetings and niceties, there were far more pressing matters on hand. "Or Myotismon…Yama will be with him." Tai growled out the last part as if the words hurt him to say but Gennai paid this no mind.

"Currently both Myotismon and the child of friendship are inside Myotismons castle." The old man answered easily with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Great! Which way is it to the castle, we leave now." Tai felt the first spark of hope in his chest.

"I don't know." Taichis entire figure slumped, Joe even took a cautious step forward so he could catch Tai if he collapsed. "The moment all of you left this world Myotismon put a mental barrier on the castle, neither I nor my equipment can find him, the building itself rose into the air and found a new resting place so if your planning on finding your old trail don't bother."

"No, he can't do that! Its imposable!" It was as if Myotismon was changing the rules half way through a game, the physical restrictions of reality should have prevented this.

"Don't be foolish. Myotismon can throw up a mental barrier around himself, its not much more work to through it around his castle." Gennai waved at them all to sit down on waiting cushions and politely they all did so, except of course Tai.

"I don't believe you! He can't pick up a building and run away with it! Its not possible!" Taichi gestured a little franticly with his hands, begging them to understand and tell him he was right, that Yamato was still within reach.

"In the digital world anything is possible, especially with powers such as he has and you may someday posses." Powers, undead, inhuman, Tai did not want to think about it, this was the core of all the evil that had been done by his misguided hand. In a completely human reaction he chewed his lip self consciously only to sink his fangs deep into his bottom lip and yelp in pain and surprise.

"We need to discus what happened Taichi. It is crucial to the survival of both worlds you succeed and to do so you need to know your strengths and weaknesses more thoroughly." The children watched silently, feeling as if they should not be witnessing this but not being able to leave.

"Is there no way to find Yama?" Tai said softly, his head hung low as if in defeat.

"Only to search for him." The man responded gently.

"Then I have to go look, you understand don't you?" Tai forced himself to look back up.

"I expected as much but I hoped you would stay longer."

"What is happening, what are you talking about?" Takeru stood up and walked over to taichi, pulling on his shirt questioningly.

"He is trying to leave us." Sora said before the others could reply. "He wants to go look for Yamato himself." He did not bother to repress the frustration and even anger in her voice.

"Its not true is it Taichi?" Takeru tugged even harder at the cloth, begging not to be left alone. "You promised that my Onii-chan and you would always be here for me."

Taichi knelt and took Takeru into his arms. "I'm sorry Tk but I have to go. I cant risk taking you all with me, not when Yamato gave up so much to keep you safe. Besides I will travel faster alone, at night when he will be awake as well, I cant ask you to give up the sun." Taichi forced back the tears, Tk always did this to him, made him think off all the painful truths in life and bring him to the edge of sorrow. He could not spill out all the reasons Tai had to go alone and let them be dissected by the group. Was it not enough that he took full blame of what happened to Yamato, that he alone was responsible for finding his lost love, that even now Tai went against Yamas wish in trying to find him and could not completely undo all that Yamato had given them. Tai could keep his little family safe if they stayed here with Gennai, out in the darkness of the unknown there were no such beautiful assurances.

"But you said you would look after me!" Takeru cried, huge crystalline tears falling down his face.

"But I am Takeru, and so is Yamato. It was his gift that sent us to the real world and that keeps you safe now. I have to ask you to be brave for Yamato, he is protecting you and the rest of us as well and has completely forgotten how to return to us, I need you to be strong while I go find him." Takeru pulled back until he was an arms length away from Taichi and nodded bravely.

"I will be a good boy for my Onii-chan!" Takeru sniffed and tried to wipe away the rest of his tears. The child seemed satisfied if a little saddened but he dealt with it well. Sora on the other hand was no so easily dissuaded.

"Taichi we will not be left behind! You can't go off on your own like this it's dangerous! Yamato is our friend too!" The red head stomped for emphasis as she spoke.

"You will only slow me down, I need to find him now and that wont happen if I am watching after you all." She going to retaliate, Tai knew it so he turned back to Takeru before she could get a word out.

"While I am gone you are going to be the leader all right? You have watch out for the others while I am gone alright?" Tk nodded, trying so hard to be brave. "But first you need to look the part hm?" Taichi reached into his pocket and produced his little compass, the compass he had since the very first day in the digital world. "I want you to have this until I return for good alright?" Again Takeru nodded, so proud to be helping the older boys.

That was it, the time to leave was most defiantly now before the others could protest as well but he had to make sure one last time.

"Gennai, you will take care of them wont you?"

"They are safe here, this house has a cloak as well, not as good as Myotismon but it will suffice. Our talk will have to wait until another day then?" Tai nodded.

"Until then." The children didn't even know when he disappeared, one moment Tai was standing there with them and the next he was gone. Taichi thought it best this way, no messy goodbyes to make it any more painful than it had to be.

For ages Taichi would roam the digital world, feeding on Myotismons evil minions and scouring the land for any sign of Yamato. Hordes of minions would be stumbled on interrogated and left, digimon would be stalked and lead not to the castle but to more nothingness. Nights melted into one another and Taichi not once missed the light of the sun, the sun was for living and happiness but without Yamato there was no happiness, there was no life.

* * *

…..will the lovers be reunited? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters! Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and that anyone out there that was confused is less so now. I know I say this every time but please review! It makes a huge difference (so I know if I am too far into lala land and should revert back to normal human writing)! Everyone who reviewed….THANK YOU! you guys are my HEROS! (and Taichi and Yamatos heros of course) 


	10. False Death

Warnings: Nothing I have not put you through already

Disclaimer: I own nata, nothing, zip, but I plan to kidnap Taichi and Yamato soon anyway.

* * *

It took no conscious thought for Yamato to find the remains of the house he had burnt, Takerus and Taichis makeshift funeral prier, he had not even noticed where his legs were taking him until all at once they stopped and let his mind run free. There had never been a plan, what he did now was the only option left to him, it was as natural as breathing, as natural as drinking blood. Here, in the place his beloved had died by Yamatos hands, where he had murdered the only friends he ever had and the only family he loved he too would die. If some part of themselves still clung to this place, tortured souls haunting the place their young lives were ripped from them then he would join them, his ashes would mix with Taichis and they would finally be together forever.

Gently, fearing that the slightest breath would cause his treasures to break, Yamato set down his brothers blackened hat and Taichis beloved compass, he could not risk them breaking as he gathered the wood he would require. Yamato had no idea how much fire it would take to end his immortal life but decided in the end to make a massive bonfire. He would not roam this world a half-dead burnt creature, if he could not find death in this fire he may be too weak to try again. All night with preternatural speed Yamato gathered timber until the wood was taller than he was and it had potential to rival the fire that had burnt Taichi.

Even now in the minutes before oblivion he could not see Taichi as dead. He had no body to bury, no way to put Tai to rest, no way to say a final goodbye. There had simply been too many plans involving Taichi for the brunet to die, he could not just leave Yamato like that. He was suppose to survive until the end of this world and beyond, Taichi would be a reminder of light when everything else went dark, the knowledge that such beauty lived on in the universe would be enough for Yamato to endure this almost life. He had always thought, even when Taichi had disappeared into the real world so long ago, that Tai could not die without him knowing. He would just know when Tai ceased to exist and the entire world would weep for its loss.

Yamato stepped back and examined the tower of timber with pride, this would surely end it his life. But something felt unfinished, he walked back to where the compass and hat lay and picked them up. It did not seem right to leave the last reminders of his loved ones abandoned on the ground where any creature could come and claim them but he did not want to obliterate them with himself. There was no one left to give the items to, no one he could entrust the material possessions of his life to, he had killed them all. He turned them over lovingly in his hands, examining the glint of the compass, the weave of the cloth. Finally he tucked them into his pockets, there would be no trace of any of the digidestined left in this world, Yamato would end their tale this night, leave their story left untold.

It took little effort to light the kindling and watch the fire slowly grow to a blaze, he would wait until the fire reached its peak, it was so close now. Smoke rose high into the air, as an afterthought Yamato hoped Myotismon would not notice, that he did not know Yamato planned to die this night and would not try to stop him. Then again he had not come yet and Yamato knew without a shadow of a doubt that if Myotismon even suspected that Yamato would leave him through death the digimon would have stopped him already. As he felt the heat of the fire warming his cold skin he felt pity for the digimon, alone for eternity, making a child only to have it die by its own hand, but Yamato would not waste his last thoughts on someone he did not love.

He had many regrets in his life, his biggest regret and biggest joy however had been one in the same, Taichi. Not for the world would he trade away the memories of Taichi he did have but there was so much left unsaid, so much he never did. He never told Tai that he was loved, never told him that he was an angel and that he had not known love or happiness until he met Tai. Yamato never held Taichi as only a lover can, he never kissed those perfect lips and never would. The very last thing he had done to Taichi was…rip him apart. Yamato had had to leave and to do it he had to hurt the brunet but…he had not just hurt Tai he had destroyed him, played on every weakness he could find. Tai probably died thinking that Yamato thought him to be a worthless leader and the source of every bad thing that had befallen any of the digidestined.

Yamatos eyes welled with tears, he didn't know how or why Tai had returned to this place but he had. Myotismon had lied to Yamato, told him that Tai had died long ago and Matt could not help but regret that Myotismon would never be punished for this but it was too late for that, the fire was nearly high enough. Taichi had been here just days ago, Yamato could see images, memories that were not his own but clung to the remnants of the charred building. In a flash he had seen the digidestined sitting on the floor, Takeru petting Patamon quietly, listening as Gennai and Taichi spoke words Matt could not hear. Taichi had been alive in this place, as alive as a vampire could be, but he was not the joyful boy that once was, Yamato had killed all the joy that once resided in his eyes.

This was it, the fire burned viciously, sparks flew into the night air and flames licked the wood greedily. All of the good in his life, all the bad he had wrecked, all the friendships he had made, it all ended now. Sense the fire had been lit Yamato had blocked out all his surroundings but his beautiful flame, he needed to be totally alone because now he would join Tai where ever he had gone in death.

"I'm coming Tai!"

* * *

Tai did not know how long he had wondered the digital world alone. Every minute, ever second without Yamato stretched into an eternity. This night he had fed early, some awful creature that was dumb as it was evil, of course it had known of Yamato, Taichi took the information from its mind the moment he saw it, but it had only seen him once and it was too long ago to be of any use. Yamato lived and roamed the same forest he did, some night soon Tai would find a fresh trail to Yamato and they could live together forever.

Every once in awhile in the darkest most solitary hours of the night a thought would come to him. Yamato had wanted to leave him, he had forced the blonde into this life and it was only a matter of time before his beloved Matt would leave him forever and perhaps that time had already come. Maybe Yamato did not just send them away to be safe, maybe he just had to be rid of Tai, the one who caused him so much pain over and over again. Then the thought would slip away. They had to stay together, even if it was for just a little while longer they had to keep fighting for the digital world. He still had time to tell Yamato everything, time to gaze into those fathomless sapphires that held his heart.

A very faint smell of smoke permeated the air, nothing a human could detect but plenty for Taichi to realize what it was and find its source. Smoke billowed into the darkened sky and taichi ran as fast as he could to it. He had wandered far from the others but he knew exactly where he had left them and the smell of fire and the digidestined were far to entangled for comfort. Tai urged his body on faster as the forest flew by him, in a matter of minutes he was only a mile away from the fire, away from the little house he had left his charges in. Panic had set in, if anything had happened to them…

All along Tai had been searching for a sign of his friends, the timber of their voices hidden under the sounds of fire and the nighttime world, the smell that was entirely human, then all at once it hit him. Taichi skidded to a halt and turned with open arms to his friends.

Gennai along with each child left in his charge stood relatively unharmed although notably shook up. Takeru gave a little shout and ran to Taichi, as far as he was concerned he had been left in charge and it was therefore his duty to inform Tai about everything that had transpired.

Mimi plopped herself on the ground and the others were quick to follow her example and join her on the cool grass. Only Tai and Takeru remained standing, their digimon all mimicking their partners.

"Tai" Taichi was disturbed to notice that Takerus normally cheerful voice wavered and tears had welled in his crystal eyes. "Your compass, I put it down when I went to bed and it got lost when the fire started, I am sorry! I was careful with it, really I was!" Tai pet the mused blond hair comfortingly.

"I know you were Tk. You did a good job, everyone is here with us and safe, that's all that matters." Tai said even though he desperately wanted to know more about this fire, luckily Tk was quick to oblige.

"We had gone to bed and were sleeping but then I woke up, I could smell fire. When I got up and opened the door to the first floor all I could see was fire. I screamed and the others woke up, Mimi screamed too so everybody was definitely awake then."

"Well you scared me!" came the rather disgruntled reply from Mimi who was more upset about loosing her beauty sleep than anything. Tk ignored her and continued.

"We broke one of the back windows and Palmon put us all on the ground. Then Gennai led us here, he said it would be easier for him to shield us if we were farther away." Taichi nodded.

"Do you have any idea who started the fire?" Gennai shook his head.

"My shields are two ways, we can not see who is beyond them and they can not see us." Tai nodded, he needed to know exactly what had happened but if someone was really out to get his friends who would be here to stop them? They already penetrated Gennais defense once if they were able to find the group.

"Damn it!" Taichi swore under his breath. The digidestined were in no condition to protect themselves without him, they were frightened and tired, it would be unlikely that any of the equally tired Digimon would be able to fight. He would watch over them until the danger passed, he could only hope that wherever he was Yamato was safe

* * *

Taichi had finally been able to part ways with the Digidestined once more. Together they traveled away from the site of their near burnings all the way to one of Gennais safe houses instead of the makeshift one they had stayed at before. Tai was assured no less than ten times that it was impossible for any digimon, however powerful, to find or destroy the digidestined there.

Tai was quick to go back, taking only a single night for the return journey. He took time only to feed and then he would be off again. He had expected that the smell of fire might still cling to the area but when he arrived he was assaulted by the fumes of a new fire. Smoke rose out of the same place in which he had seen it before but it was impossble, the little house had already burned down, there was nothing left to catch flame. A feeling of utter dread and foreboding twisted in Taichis stomach. Something was very, very wrong, this was no coincidence.

Yamato. It.Was.Yamato. Tai had stopped in the brush just before the clearing intending to spy on the culprit but instead he nearly fell from his hiding place at the sight before him. His beautiful Yamato was standing before a fire that was taller than he was by far. Its yellow flames sent tendrils of light to dance on Yamatos face and arms. He was deep in thought by the looks of it. His hands playing idly with Takerus hat and Taichis compass, turning them around in his hands a few times before putting them gently into his pocket.

Tai tried to process these things, to understand what they all meant, to see if it was the right time to go to the blond but he took a moment too long thinking on it. Yamatos soft voice came on the breath of the wind "I'm coming Tai!" His slender form was tightening like a cat ready to pounce. 'No!' thought Tai desperately 'He is going to jump into it!'

In one fluid motion Yamato was airborne, his eyes closed not wanting to see death coming, wanting his last vision to be of Taichi. In the moments before death it is said that time stops and you see your life flashing before your eyes. Time had slowed and Yamato was nearly at the crest of his leap, it seemed he had all the time in the world before he fell. It was too late to save himself, death would come now no matter what and in this hopelessness he found peace. This moment of perfect serenity was broken when something heavy hit him in the chest. At first he thought it was one of the tall branches and that he would fall into the fire now, happy. But the fire never came, he was ready to open his eyes and curse anyone who dare stop him when he found himself looking into familiar chocolate depths.

"Yama!" Taichi nearly sobbed the name. He had caught Matt in air, forcing the blond out of the way. They landed together far from harms reach, Yamato trapped beneath Taichi. Tai could barely breath, he found him, Matt his darling angel, trying to kill himself. Fear, rage, love, a million emotions bubbled up inside Tai until he would either explode or act on a strange collaboration of all of them. Desperately he gathered Yamato into his arms, the other boys legs still trapped beneath his own and held him fiercely.

"What were you thinking?" Tai half yelled half sobbed in Yamatos ear. He wanted to look into Matts eyes once more, see that he was still alive and with him but he needed to feel Matts heart beating against his own just a little longer. "I wont let you leave me like this!"

Taichi pulled back, making sure Yamatos head was placed gently onto the ground before he lifted himself onto his arms so he could see the beautiful boy beneath him more clearly. He had only seen Matt in this position of weakness a treasured few times, trapped under the brunet. A memory of Yamato crying in his arms on a snowy cliff imposed itself over this reality, it seemed like a lifetime ago but the Yamato that lay broken in his arms now and the past Yamato were the same, being a vampire had not truly changed Yamato, no matter what the blond thought.

"Yama" Tai spoke in a low commanding voice, Yamatos mind was somewhere far from here and Tai needed to know he had his full attention. Blue eyes focused on Taichis chocolate ones. "You have to promise me you will not try this again. Promise me you wont try to kill yourself!" He had tried so hard to stay calm, stay strong for Yamato, but his voice broke and tears cascaded down his cheeks. His Yama had tried to kill himself.

"Tai? Is it really you?" Yamato whispered in something akin to shock, when he got no answer but more crimson tears he was sure. "Tai!" Matt wrapped his arms around Taichi and pulled him down so they were pressed against each other. Words could not describe what he felt so he didn't try to make them. Everything that had ever gone wrong in his life was worth it just for this moment. "Tai." Yamato whispered it in the others ear, more of a caress than anything. His hands found their way to Taichi face where they held it in place as Yamato kissed away every last crimson tear.

Tai let Yamato do what he wanted with him but responded to nothing. He needed to know that it was ok, that Matt would not leave him, nothing could happen until he had that assurance.

"Yama, Promise me you will never try to kill yourself again." These words seemed to shock Yamato but his hands did not fall from the others face. "Promise me."

"As long as you live I will not let myself die." Yamato smiled at Tai, caressing the still tan cheek as he spoke. He still could not believe his angel was alive, he would promise Tai anything as long as it meant they could stay like this.

Tai thought the answer was strange but it would have to do for now. He nodded and rolled himself off of Yamato but pale hands held firmly to his shirt. "Please." Yamato breathed, he could not let go, if he let go Taichi might disappear. Taichis eyes grew wide but he sat down and crossed his legs, planning to have Yamato sit on his lap. Before he could pull the blond to him Matt had straddled his hips and hooked his feet behind Tais back, their chests pressed close together and their faces close to touching.

Tais mind abandoned him and left him at Yamatos mercy. Where the contact seemed to hinder Taichis ability to communicate Yamato thrived on it. His hands threaded themselves into Tais hair.

"Don't leave me." Matt whispered into Taichis ear. Yamato had gone so long without Tai, without the simple touches he so treasured, weeks of loneliness crushing his heart were suddenly lifted and he found himself dreadfully tired. Without another word Yamato curled up against Taichis chest and was lost into sleep.

* * *

For the first time in a million chapters Yamato and Taichi are together! Lets see if they wont stay together for awhile. To everyone who reviewed I really do love you! I have gotten over my little writers block and hopefully the side effects of it will disappear shortly. Tune in next to Digimon Digital Monsters! (well the Taito Version of it anyway) 


	11. Be Careful What You Wish For

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Warnings: Erm…swearing, and lets just say they get a little bit friendlier with each other….

* * *

Tai fought for control of himself, desperately trying to find words while withstanding Yamatos unprecedented flood of affection.

Yamato was notoriously distant, almost never letting anyone but Takeru come close enough to touch him and here he was holding on to Tai as if everything depended on it. Finally Taichi was able to wrap his arms around the boy in his lap and open his mouth to speak but…Yamato was asleep in his embrace.

This was immensely unfair! Yamato could not go and try to kill himself only to turn around and kiss away Taichis distressed tears then before Tai had time enough to think fall asleep in his lap. This was not the boy he knew, not his cold prince with a mask that only Taichi could break. Not for the first time nor the thousandth time since their separation Tai wondered what could have happened to Yamato in his absence. Images he could not bare to put into words flashed in front of his eyes and he subconsciously pressed Yamato closer to him. If Myotismon had done anything to him Tai would see he suffered a most horrible death. He had seen the way Myotismon looked at the blond even if he had not thought about it until now. There was a very real possibility that the vampire loved Matt just as much as Tai did in his own twisted sadistic way. They needed to leave this place, now.

Tai stood swiftly, taking time enough to arrange the sleeping boy in his arms. Slender legs were still wrapped around his waist and pallid arms snaked around Taichis neck without Yamato ever waking. Tai held onto Matt tightly and tried to ignore the soft breaths falling on his neck. They were daring someone to catch them by staying next to this fire, it was a beacon to everyone in the digital world that shouted, "Come and get us!" and they were not nearly ready for a confrontation.

Together they traveled until the dawn approached and Tai found a cave to shelter them. Not once in the night had Matt awoken, only mumbling words too soft to decipher and playing with the fabric of Tais shirt. Futilely Tai tried to lay Yamato down on his own but even asleep the boy was stubborn, every time Taichi pulled away he would whine and struggle, clutching whatever part of Tai he could find to him. This was more painful than Tai thought possible. All he could think of was how much Yamato must have gone through to bring him to this state, so that even at rest he was never really at peace.

There were a few minutes left before they would begin feeling and significant signs of the imminent death sleep and there was nothing Tai wanted more than to wake the other boy and find out everything that had happened. Even with Matt lying safely in his arms he needed to know that he was ok. That when they woke the next night Yamato would be the same as when he had left Tai, that there were no mental scars causing him pain. Tai wrapped himself around Yamato and brush an errand strand of golden hair from his face. Causing the beautiful boy mental pain had always been his job anyway. He could still hear Yamato speaking to him just before he left to find Myotismon. It was Tais fault, all of it. The fact that they had been separated, that they had nearly lost Yamato this night to a fire the blond willingly made, even that they were no longer humans but some perverse mutation of digimon and humanity.

But he would not wake Yamato.

After all he had been through Yamato deserved this rest. Tonight Tai would watch over him and everything could wait until nightfall when they would wake to find themselves still in each other's embrace.

* * *

The sounds of the night filled the air and the moon sent tender beams down upon the darkened world, it was time for the creatures of the night to rise.

Yamato knew even in his most subconscious level as he rose from sleep that something was amiss. There was not supposed to be another night, fire was suppose to have taken him and there would be no more waking, no world that did not hold Taichi would hold him. This was a world of endless wilderness, a world of emptiness that this child of the darkness did not wish to dwell in. Yet here he was, every second becoming more aware of this world without beauty.

It did not hurt to breath or to move, existing did not cause him physical pain, his body could not have repaired itself from flames that Yamato could not remember touching him, not this fast. Perhaps he was not still among the living and this was simply nothingness. But he would not fall into nothingness; he would not exist for an eternity without Tai in any form, in any reality or dimension. He had always known his heart was on its own but not even the stonehearted Yamato pretended he could live alone.

Fighting consciousness proved to be a vain battle. Slowly Yamato realized that he was still alive and unharmed, still in the digital world. He had not gone into eternity in a blaze. But this was not the garish world he had tried to leave the day before, no, this world was infinity more forgiving, it was warm. He was not lying besides his crude funeral prier on the hard ground or in the enveloping beds of Myotismons castle, this warmth, this softness was familiar but something he could not put a name to, something he had not felt in a long time and he would not be able to name while he fought wakefulness. If the battle must be lost then so be it.

Yamato opened his eyes cautiously, there, not three inches from his own were the still closed eyes of Taichi. With his face came the memories, the images, the pleading and desperation of the night before.

He had showed too much of himself, too much of his heart which could never be loved. But all the same here lay Taichi, alive and holding Yamato as if he were truly precious. His beautiful, brave, charming, childish, brilliant, warm, loving angel was alive, here, with him. It was not too late to plan for eternity, there was time to watch Taichi tackle every problem that confronts him, time to watch him and in times of darkness when the mortals he loved died comfort and care for him. Now all he had to do was make sure he never made the same mistakes he made last night. Already he might have damaged their relationship with his foolish antics, his desperate kisses and overwhelming embrace. But eternity remained to remedy that, to assure Tai that he was out of his mind that night, that he was as uncaring as ever and that he did not need to be loved, that he could live life alone. Every time he had showed Taichi some part of his heart, every time his mask cracked and he bared the smallest fragment of his soul something terrible happened. Maybe it was not to late to prevent it this time.

Yamato kept his steady gaze fixed on Taichis face, watching the slight flutter of his eyelashes, set on loving Tai from afar. He was sure that he could do this, for him and for Taichi, he was sure right up until the moment Tai opened his eyes.

"Yama" Taichi whispered the name and reached up to caress a pale cheek. "Its all right. I will take care of you now." Every thought of staying apart from Taichi abandoned the good intentioned blond.

Yamato did not respond but he did not flinch away from the hand still stroking his face so Taichi talked on. "But you have to tell me what happened, how am I suppose to help you when I don't know what you need?"

Matt closed his eyes and fell from Taichis arms, rolling onto his back and finally sitting up completely apart from his companion. "I do not need to be cared for and I do not need help." His tone was cold, there was no trace of the passionate boy from just one night before but Taichi would not give up.

"Why did you do it Yama?" Tai stood and questioned the boy forcefully. If this is how Yamato wanted it then Tai would play along.

"I did not do anything." Matt stood, hating having someone stand over him like that and hating even more that they had already begun to fight.

"Why did you try to kill yourself!" Tai was very nearly yelling, his face was flushed with blood as his heart beat furiously, he would not loose Yamato again. "Why are you refusing me when all I want to do is help you? I know I have wronged you but you must know that I will never let anyone hurt you again!"

"Its none of your business Tai! Just leave me alone!" Matt yelled back. How exactly like the fights they use to have. It felt as if any second someone would throw a punch and one of the other digidestined would hear their yells and come to stop them.

"Of course it is my business! You're my best friend! Am I supposed to sit back and watch you suffer?" Tai continued to yell even though he knew he shouldn't, he should rise above this and just speak to Yamato but he could feel his heart breaking all over again.

Yamato let out a cold bitter laugh. "You mean like what you have always done? Let me do what I want, what do you care as long as I am still breathing and able to help you save the fucking digital world." Tai could not stand it, with a burst of inhuman speed he held Matt by the shoulders.

"I saw you jump into the flames. I almost had to watch you die. I had to save you when even you wouldn't, how can you say I don't care?" Tai growled. "Don't pretend for me Yama, don't pretend you wouldn't care if I died." Matt turned his head away so he would not have to look at Tai.

"I wouldn't, go ahead and do it." His words were all spite, even as they passed his lips he knew there was not a grain of truth in them but his mask would hold, his mental barriers would shield him, Tai would never know.

"Fine." Tai hissed. Matt expected to be released but instead the world around him disappeared, he was not in their little cave but standing by his huge fire once more only this time Taichi had taken his place by its side. Tai looked straight into his eyes. "Goodbye Yamato" His entire body sprung into the air and Matt panicked. He couldn't move, his feet were stuck, he was trying over and over to yell, to scream but nothing came out. He could only watch in horror as Tai descended into the fire.

Just before the flame touched his shoe the fire vanished and they were in the cave once more. Yamato felt his legs collapsing beneath him and closed his eyes against the fall but instead of the cold ground he fell into the warm arms of Taichi. He could feel the arms surround him but all he could do was lay his head against Taichis chest.

"How did you…?" Matt asked weakly, the vision of Taichi falling into the fire played in his mind over and over.

"I don't know. I found one night that I could send people images, memories, thoughts, anything I wanted, and I could make them see things. A good digimon found me feeding and flipped out…I did not want it to die and before I knew what was happening I was changing its reality." Taichi spoke softly, dismissively, there were more pressing things to speak of. "Now look me in the eye and tell me you don't care if I die."

Yamato didn't look up, he couldn't. If he looked at Tai he would never be able to lie to him but to tell him the truth would cost them both dearly in the end. So instead Matt held Tai tight against him, holding on with barely shielded desperation.

"Yama." Tai would not let this go, Yamato had to know how much pain his death would cause, what he was putting everyone who loved him through. "I saw you last night, saw the way you really felt, I could feel it in the way you held me. It pained you to be away from me, from the digidestined, think of how painful it would be for us if you died! Look how you missed me and I was not even dead!" Tai knew he was taking liberties in his speech, putting too much stock in how much Yamato missed him but from the way he had acted last night…

"But you were dead!" Yamato straightened up and managed to hold up his own weight, although Taichi did not release his comforting hold on him. His voice was very near hysterics. "You did die and I killed you! Twice I had to suffer your death!" Matt was become enraged, every thought, every word fed the fire inside him. "You have no idea the hell I suffered for you! Now you come back from the dead to make me watch you die!" Yamato pushed violently away from the brunet. Tai was too stunned to do anything but let his arms fall limply at his sides and watch in awe.

"A thousand times over I saved you! Put my life on the line for yours! And each time you fail me and I get only news of death! You are suppose to be in the real world or protecting TK…" Yamato froze, his ear shattering yells dwindled to nothing and his eyes glazed over. "TK…" Matt repeated the name lovingly, softly. "Where is he? Is he OK? Do you have him?"

Tai took a deep breath and approached Matt the way you would a wild horse. "Takeru is safe with Gennai and the others…but he does miss you Yama…Yama?" The blond had not moved since Taichi began to talk, he had not even blinked. Taichi took another cautious step forward.

"And everyone is alive? They are not hurt?" Yamato asked slowly, a wild look in his eyes making them flash dangerously.

"Everyone is alive and well." Tai answered slowly, his concern for Matts mental state growing with each passing second. He was going to question the other carefully but before he could form a plan Matt smiled and joyous laughter filled the cave.

"They are alive! I didn't kill them!" Yamato yelled at the sky, happier than he could ever remember being. All anger forgotten he spotted Taichi and ran to him. "Tai! Everyone is alive! You are alive!" Yamato captured Tais face in his hands and pressed their lips together. Energy coursed through Yamato at such speeds that he didn't know what he was doing. His mind registered how soft Taichis lips were against his own and how Tais lower lip quivered slightly. Matt smiled into the kiss and nipped at the lower lip lightly before giving Tai a last little parting kiss and pulling away.

Tai staggered back a step when Yamato release him, his mouth hanging open dumbly as he watch Yamato spin to face the mouth of the cave.

"I want to see them. Maybe I shouldn't but…I want to…I need to see Takeru again." Yamato spun back around to face Tai. Ecstasy still coursed through his veins, muddling his mind. His family, his friends, they still lived, they had been given back to him, it was a second chance and he was not going to blow it. How many years did he have left with these mortals? Now a lifetime did not seem so very long. He would watch over them as they grew, spend as much time as was allotted to him with the mortals he loved. For the first time in ages Matt did not have a single dark thought in his mind, for all the evils in the world there was suddenly enough good to make it disappear.

"How far are they? We will leave now and feed on the way." Matt still did not register that he had kissed Tai, he even ignored the dumbfounded look on Taichis face and grabbed the still tan hand. "Come on, I am hungry!" Yamato took off running, Taichi trailing an arms length behind him. Minutes passed where neither of them spoke and the excitement of the news wore off. In mid step it hit him. He had kissed Taichi.

Matt nearly tripped but recovered quickly with a burst of speed. If he stopped he would have to look at Tai. Tai whose hand he was still holding. Every last muscle in his hand felt like it wanted to twitch awkwardly just to draw Taichis embarrassing attention to it. How could he just kiss Taichi like that? What was he thinking? And that look on Tais face after he had done it. Now he had definitely screwed things up. Of course Tai had not pushed him away, he didn't even freak out. Maybe he would just write it off as temporary insanity and they would never have to talk about it again. Yamato groaned, he couldn't just ignore it, he was doomed now, he would never be able to look at same way again.

Pain shot threw Matts lip as he bit it fiercely. He wished he could take back everything he had just done. He probably should not even be going to see Tk but now that the possibility was open to him he could not let the idea go. Besides, deciding not to see Tk would mean facing Tai sooner. Maybe if he just kept running, ignoring the fact that he had almost no idea of where to go, reality would never catch up to him.

"Yama." Taichi stopped dead in his tracks and forced Yamato to. Tai dropped the pale hand once he was sure that Yamato would not continue without him. "I smell blood." Tai looked around the forest but saw nothing, he wasn't expecting to see anything. "Are you alright?" He looked Matt in the eyes, knowing full well that Yamato had not been seriously injured.

"Ya I just…bit my lip." Yamato smiled sheepishly so that Tai could see the two little puncture holes bleed freely. Taichis eyes glazed over for a second as his bloodlust took control of his mind. He could see it in his mind, just a step and he could suck at the injured lip, make Yamato moan and whimper as Taichi had very nearly done just awhile before. This time he would be ready to greet Matts lips with passion, to taste the boy and mark Yamato as his.

Taichi came back to reality as the Yamato in front of him fidgeted uncomfortably. He was obviously ill at ease. Tai wondered if Yamato was as mortified as he looked over how he had acted in the cave. He didn't want Matt to feel uncomfortable with him, he knew that Yamato had just been excited; there was no other reason for the beautiful blond boy to ever even consider kissing him.

"Yama its ok-" Tai took a step forward to force Yamato to stop fidgeting. He spoke as he moved but Matt seemed to decide on something that moment and interrupted him.

"Im sorry. For before, I was just-"

"Excited?"

"Ya. I never meant to-"

"Yama" Tai interrupted again, he didn't want to hear Matt say that he had no interest in him like that, it would just sound too final. It would be better to say it himself. "I would probably have done the same thing if I were in your shoes, besides no one not exited out of their minds would want to kiss me."

"That's not true-" Yamato wanted so desperately to tell Tai that there was nothing he would like more than to kiss him. Well kiss him and do several far less platonic things to him. But Taichi obviously did not want to continue on with this line of discussion.

"Come on we should go find something to eat." Tai led the way without another word. His mental powers were more attuned than Yamatos so it was easy to find several dark hearted little digimon near by. It was alarming how many evil digimon littered the forest their sweet tempered friends were in. Tai did not slow as he approached the group, he needed to feed now before his mind stopped rationalizing or he would have bigger things to worry about than an innocent kiss. He walked straight into their tiny clearing and having no other choice Yamato followed.

"Lord Yamato!" One of the digimon squeaked and elbowed its friends. The three stood up and bowed. "And one of the digidestined!" The same digimon observed out loud.

"He can't be a digidestined he is with Lord Yamato! Besides he isn't human!" The digimon started to fight amongst themselves and ignored the two boys complete.

"Lord Yamato?" Taichi asked quietly.

"None of them can live now. They saw us together. Be quick." Matt strode forward and in a flash he had one of the creatures in his arms, his blond hair falling over his face. Tai was mesmerized, he wanted to watch Yamato like this forever, but the other two had noticed the void their friend once occupied. Tai snatched one up and sent the last digimon calming thoughts and images so he would not run.

Yamato let the data scatter in his hands and watched as the last creature fell to its knees with a smile on its face. He knew Tai had taken control of his mind and wanted to see what the brunet would let the ones he killed see. Matt sat next to the creature and took it into his arms like a doll. His fangs sunk deep into its naked throat and he and the creature became one.

Matt could feel Tais presence in the digimons mind as he could feel its mal intent. He could feel Tai search the creatures mind for its fondest memories and replay them in perfect clarity to distract it from the pain and loss of death. Matt could even feel Tais shock as he felt Matts presence in the digimons mind.

Tai let the nearly drained digimon fall to his feet as he stumbled toward Yamato. He was distracting the digimon when out of nowhere he could feel Yamato. Carefully he had nudged the blondes mind, wanting just a single thought or emotion, some clue that Yamato was all right. Instead he had seen pain and hunger, the corpses of rats, a starving wraith of a body that he knew belonged to Yamato. Fear made Tai withdraw. He had seen in flash of a single memory horrors he did not know existed. He needed to know everything Yamato had gone through, needed to make anyone who dared to hurt his Yamato pay.

He fell to his knees in front of Yamato and put his hand on the pallid cheek, letting it find a gentle hold in gold locks. Matt released the digimon and it tumbled away from them. Tai loved the way the bloodlust made Yamatos eyes glaze over, he looked more enticing then than Tai had ever seen him. His golden hair hung half hazardously over his face and his eyes burned with unbridled fire. But Yamato was confused as someone who had just woken and could only blink owlishly at Tai.

"Yama I want you to tell me everything that happened since we parted." Yamato blinked and shook his head, he was coming back to himself enough to know that he should deny Taichi this. Tai took in a shaky breath, Yamato had stopped long before the heart had and blood was trailing down the side of his mouth, inviting him to taste it, to taste Matt. Taichis mind went red, the taste of his last meal was still on his lips and he hungered for more.

Tai tightened his hand in Matts hair, just enough to keep him from moving as he bent forward and lapped at the thin line of blood. His tongue grazed Yamatos lips and he could taste the blood still seeping from the little bite marks. Tai sucked the lip into his mouth and found exactly what he had wanted. Tai sucked harder and the blood came easier, he could see everything his angel had, could see every last memory, feel everything Matt did.

Yamato moaned into the bloody kiss and Tai stopped his quick examination of Matts mind. Quickly he bit his own tongue and let the blood flow into Matts mouth. He did not want to weaken Yamato and now the connection between them could grow stronger. Yamato was lost in his lust and impaled his own tongue with a sharp fang, not feeling the pain in favor of basking in the connection they had like this. They were no longer Taichi and Yamato as separate beings, they were one. He felt everything Tai did and could feel little shocks of pleasure when he did something Tai liked. Matts hands found their way around the brunet and pulled them flush against each other before fisting into the back of Tais shirt. He wanted to send Tai what he felt, make their minds as close as the blood had made them but he found that Tai was closed off from him.

Yamatos pale skin was flushed and alive in Taichis arms. Tais body screamed for more contact and Yamato pushing them together only caused the ache to grow. Tai lowered Matt to the ground and lay on top of him without breaking their kiss. He examined Matts hot mouth, exploring it as if he wanted to commit every detail to memory. Tai was so busy pillaging Yamato mouth that he almost screamed when Yamato opened his legs to him and their hips touched for the first time. Tai had no control of himself as he ground his painful arousal into Yamatos. Matt whimpered softly and Tai was forced to break the kiss lest he come and his entire plan fall apart utterly. He pulled back enough to watch Yamato writhe beneath him. Sapphire eyes shot open in search of Tais now coveted lips. Yamato was beyond words, it didn't matter what would happen later as long as Tai didn't stop moving. He rolled his hips into Taichis and licked at Taichis bloodied lips.

Tai took a deep breath and remembered his half formed now seemingly ridiculous plan. His hands grabbed Yamatos hips and forced them to the ground, willing them not to move as he lay fully on the blond once more. Tais lips were welcomed back by Yamatos hot ones. Blood had pooled during the little pause and the connection between them returned with the blood. Tai delved into Yamatos mind, he looked past what was happening and ignored any emotions he found attached to memories, Yamatos thoughts would remain his own if only Tai could have his past. Tai was lost in darkness and assaulted by incomprehensible evils. There was no light here, no hope, only a darkness that Yamato seemed to know intimately, he decided without really choosing that if Yamato knew this Darkness he would too. He had what he wished for.

* * *

What will Tai find? What will it do to them? What will the repercussions of that little episode be? Find out next time on Digimon! Bad? Good? I honestly have no idea so it would be nice to have some opinions. More of this type of thing or never again? I have a lot planned out but it is open to tweaking to what people like. Inspire me!…please? P.S. to everyone who reviewed: I LOVE YOU! 


	12. I Promise

Warnings: Nothing you haven't seen!  
Disclaimer: I own no digimon…except that D3 I bought at toys-R-us

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Tai delved into Yamatos mind, he looked past what was happening and ignored any emotions he found attached to memories, Yamatos thoughts would remain his own if only Tai could have his past. Tai was lost in darkness and assaulted by incomprehensible evils. There was no light here, no hope, only a darkness that Yamato seemed to know intimately, he decided without really choosing that if Yamato knew this Darkness he would too. He had what he wished for.

A lifetime of memories, painful and wonderful, lay before Tai and he had precious little time to examine them, to find what he needed to help his beloved Yamato live on for eternity. Images flashed before his closed eyes, images of darkness and solitude, a lithe body so starved that pale skin was stretched obscenely over bone and sapphire eyes protruded from the normally graceful face. There was pain attached to the flashes of dark forest that seemed endless and void of life. But these things were not what Taichi needed, he could guess at the hunger and weakness Yamato had felt, his angel was strong and would be able to deal with these things on his own if need be, Tai needed those dark and terrible mental pains that would tear at Yamatos heart every second of his painful existence.

Tai sought out to find the darkest memories, to shift out the good and narrow his search but soon it was apparent that even Yamatos most prized memories felt bittersweet. Flashes of early childhood came and went, a small blond child, a cherub fallen from medieval paintings alone and hungry, deprived of his brother, deprived of normalcy. Tai swept by these memories with an acute pain forming in his heart, these were part of the old human Yamato he had learned to love and care for, he needed the new memories, those tainted with a vampiric outlook, memories that meant Yamato needed him as much he needed Yamato.

Fire, there was so much fire. It burned the dark digimon that had followed Yamato, burned the little house the digidestined had stayed at, and in Yamatos mind burned the digidestined themselves. This fire had been Yamatos just as his little funeral pyre had been his. Tai knew that there was no need but he had to look for himself, if only for a second, at those moments before Yamato jumped into the fire. It was dream like, everything was unclear and there was no sense of time passing, there was no real pain emanating from this memory, only that soft shimmering misery that never left the dark angel. There was however a feeling of love, for the thoughts Tai did not want to delve into, for the fire that would release him from this pain. But Yamato was writhing against him more fiercely now, there was little time.

Tais search was becoming rather frantic; he needed something substantial now, something Yamato would not tell him. He needed something that would tie Yamato to him, something that he could fix when the idea of eternity seemed too terrible for Yamato to bear it a second longer. And then he felt it. Memories hidden away, dark and guilty, all but emanating the word Vampire over and over again. Stretches of loneliness so penetrating Taichi could scarcely breathe and then the complete abandonment of everything he was, of his pride, his hope, his independence. After every stretch of solitude there was Myotismon. This was not the evil sadistic Myotismon Tai knew so well, this Myotismon was…kind. He took care of the beautiful body that Yamato neglected, brushed out the silky hair and clothed him in beautiful garments. He confided in Yamato his ancient knowledge and listened to Yamatos pained prattle. It was obvious Yama took comfort in the creatures' existence to a point where Taichi felt his jealous rage would consume him. There were memories of Myotismons strong arms and velvet bed, of blood being shared and lingering eyes that Matt never noticed. Myotismon wanted Yamato as a companion for eternity, his dark prince, there was love in Myotismons violet eyes, desire.

When Tai could take no more he went on, bursting through the next mental wall with utter disregard. Here lay the memories of the digidestined. Their friends smiled at Tai, going about their lives together in this strange world. Takeru was everywhere with his happy smile and infectious giggle. But the entire fount of memories was absolutely void of Taichi in any but the most abstract ways. Disturbed by the lack of him self in Yamatos mind Taichi pushed forward, knowing he should pull out, that his rape of Yamatos mind had been cruel enough but not being able to stop. The next wall was immense, none of the others could compare to this and yet Taichi had only to reach out and touch it and it shattered. It felt as if he belonged here, that Yamatos mind was pulling him in instinctively.

Here there was only Taichi. There was the mortal brunette who fought with Matt constantly and yet still they were closer with each other than with any of the other digidestined. Love surrounded Tai and he found himself thinking that Yamato must have looked back on these things and dubbed them part of his more innocent self, before his and Taichis descent into darkness for them to be marked with such unconditional love. He must look back on these memories as one would memories of early childhood. However, not far removed from the happier memories of old was the Vampire Taichi, the still tanned skin and sharp fangs, a creature of the night. Tai could feel nothing from these memories; they were tied too closely to something torturously painful. For a moment everything was blue and soft, then Tai could see his own body lying on the floor of a clearing, drained of blood as crimson pooled beneath his, staining his cloths and hair, his little knife still clutched in his hand even as death crept up on him. He could tap into the thoughts connected with these memories, just for a moment, a glimmer of what Yamato thought… He could feel Yamatos mind bending to his will, the thoughts were almost his when their link was cut completely.

Taichi blinked, trying desperately to focus his eyes as he was plunged back into the present. All too soon it was clear what had ripped him so violently from Yamatos mind. The blond thrashed violently beneath him, crimson tears cascading down his face as soft whimpering sobs escaped his throat.

'Oh God!' Taichis mind screamed at him 'I pushed too hard, too brutally and now I broke him! I tortured him to the very limits of shattering mentally.' Tai could only hold Yamatos face in his hands, whispering comforting words to him, begging him to be ok. Instantly Matt began to calm, he stopped thrashing and he blinked up at Tai with wide uncomprehending eyes.

"Tai?" Yamatos voice was raw and raspy but Tai had never heard anything so sweet.

"Yes Yama, I am here." Tai lovingly wiped a few errand tears from a crimson-tinted cheek.

"Tai!" Matt yelled and wrapped his arms around the brunette, sending his down into Yamatos body. "I saw you die again, you had killed yourself, oh god there was so much blood. It was so real." Yamato breathed shakily as he held Tai flush against him, reveling in the steady beating of Taichis heart.

Tai did not know what to say, he had caused Yamato so much pain on nothing but a whim, a desire to know what was not his to know. He hurt Yamato cruelly and without thought just so he could make sure Yamato never left him, make sure Yamato never tried kill himself, tie Yamato to himself indefinitely by healing some part of his heart that Yamato would never have shown him. So he stayed quite, waiting for the moment when Yamato would put it all together and hate him completely for it.

"It wasn't real was it?" Yamato spoke as if just awoken from a dream and not really sure of what is reality yet. He sat up and Taichi fell to sit at Yamatos side but the blond ignored this to latch onto two slender wrists. He examined them carefully, fingers delicately tracing veins and bones. There were no marring holes that could release Tai from this world, nor was there evidence of any. The only blood he could find on Taichis body was his own blood tears splattering onto the other boy, his face however was a different matter. Tais lips were swollen as if from kissing and colored with blood that was not entirely Tais own.

Huge sapphire pools blinked slowly, confusion swimming in their depths as Yamato tried to grasp reality. He was drinking in the little creature, savoring its warm satisfying blood and watching its meager life flash before them both when the digimons memories left and his own took over. He could do nothing to stop the outpouring of memories that threatened to crush him under their immense weight. All of those horrible gut-wrenching experiences came to him as if he were living them all over again. Again he could only watch as he burned the digidestined alive, he could smell the singed hair, hear their screams.

In that moment Yamato wanted to die, he could not live through seeing this all again. But just when the pain had reached its pinnacle and Yamato could take no more it surrendered to less painful memories just to lead him to what he had blocked out for so long. All over again there were blood stained flowers and Taichis evil little knife which would take Tai away from him forever. Matt held onto the wrist in his hand tighter, if he could just hold on maybe reality would find him instead of the other way around.

"Yama?" Tais soft voice ventured. Yamato blinked up as Tai as if really seeing him for the first time.

"Tai." Yamatos voice was nothing but a relieved whisper as he sunk into the waiting arms that fit around him so perfectly. He was home, he was safe.

"Its all right, nothing is going to hurt you." Tai carefully monitored his voice; he would not have Yamato see the tears in his eyes. He was a bastard, a horrible lying asshole that took advantage of the best friend he would ever have, he deserved to die. Tai knew all of this, thought it constantly and still could not bring him self to pull away from the distraught blond and tell him what he had done. How could Yamato not remember? How could he let himself take advantage of the innocent angel who had known only pain and betrayal his entire life?

Tai pulled Yamato so that his tear stained face rested on Tais chest. Minutes had passed and still the blond had not pulled away, if he had not remembered what happened by now who is to say he would remember at all? Yamato may have been too lost in the blood to know what was happening. While Tai attacked his body Yamato was in a haze that made the entire thing one long stream of blood and mindless need. Tai could deal with being an awful person if it meant Yamato would stay with him, at least for right now. The thing about sins and all manner of evil doing is you pay for them when it is convenient to do so, or if you can harbor the guilt that long, until you die.

"Yama, we should continue, we can't linger here. If those three had a camp here others might be around." Yamato blinked blankly and nodded, accepting the help Tai offered to stand. Without a word Tai grasped Yamatos hand and took off at a run.

The wind rushed past Yamatos ears, the cool breeze helped lift some of the fog from his mind. After a few deep, rejuvenating breaths Yamato decided to go over everything in his mind. First thing first, they were on their way to see the digidestined who were all very much alive. Takeru, his dear little brother was alive somewhere out of the reach evil and waiting for his Oniichan to come back to him. He was coming from…killing himself, it seemed like lifetimes had passed between then and now but how many nights had passed? One? Two? It didn't really matter, right now there are better things to do than die. Like find out what the fuck had just happened. He was feeding when his entire life spilled out of his mind. Well that was interesting…but most definitely not a good thing. For a split second Yamato thought that he would wait until his next visit to Myotismon and ask the older vampire but that seemed out of the question now. After all, he had Tai back now. It was weird, thinking that he would never find himself back in Myotismons castle, listening to the calming voice of Myotismon rattle off epic tales with ridiculous ease and accepting the easy promises that Yamato would learn this or that power when the time came. Now he would have to learn everything himself, discover his nature with no direction and Taichi struggling at his side.

All night they ran, never tiring until the first rays of the digital sun came to sap their abundance of preternatural energy. Wordlessly Taichi led the way to a one of the many caves that seemed to dot the digital world. Together they stood awkwardly in the darkness, not really having words for each other, an invisible wall separating them when just the night before they had been so close.

"We are together again." Tai found himself saying "and I am not letting you go without a fight, no one can take you from me." He didn't know what he was trying to accomplish by saying that but Yamato nodded and lay down on the ground, motioning for Tai to join him. The sun came and went, trailing idly over the mouth of the cave before hiding in the distant horizon. Still Yamato and Taichi found themselves at a strange loss for words. What did the other know? What was he thinking? So for lack of anything better they head toward their predetermined destination. There was only one stop an hour into their run that was worth noting.

Tais mind spun with need, they needed to feed before they reached the digidestined. A quick glance at Yamatos too-pale skin told him that the blond needed a meal just as badly as he did. Tai changed the direction he ran in just slightly, toward the sound of little feet crushing the undergrowth carelessly.

A pair of digimon walked through the forest heedless of the danger that lurked in the darkness. There was scarcely time to blink as Taichi scooped up one of the creatures in his deadly embrace and put the second into a deep sleep. As Tais fangs sunk into the writhing creature he watched the hunger in Yamatos eyes turn to pain.

The drained creature dropped to the ground, its life essence warming Taichi as he stepped closer to the other boy. As Tai fed Yamato had lowered himself onto the ground next to the digimon and was stroking its colorful skin absent mindedly, watching it without really seeing it.

"You need to drink." Taichi started gently pulling Yamato from his thoughts. But he only shook his head slightly in response. "You are hungry, you can't see Takeru like this, it will drive you mad."

"But what if…" Taichi strained to hear Yamatos voice as it dropped off into nothing. "I just can't."

Tai bit his lip and sat next to Yamato so that their legs brushed against each other. This was all his fault; if only he told Yamato what he had done he wouldn't have to be afraid anymore. But telling him was not an option. If Tai reveled what he had done Yamato would be lost to him forever. Without a shadow of a doubt Tai knew Yamato would find his way back to Myotismon and that would be it, the end of the digidestined, and the end of his little family.

"Its all right, nothing will happen, I promise you." Yamato looked into his eyes and Taichi could see the unfathomable depth they held, the wisdom that far surpassed his short years. A long moment passed as Matt looked at the sleeping digimon that was murmuring in its sleep. "You know what you have to do."

Oh God, Yamato was on the verge of tears, his heart torn over this horrible act he did daily, this trade of life for death. He so wished he was in pain for his mortal soul, that it was causing death that brought him such torment when it was his own wish of self preservation that brought him pause. What if those memories he tried to block from his mind came back to him as they did last night? What is the point of feeding the body if the mind dies?

Tai reached out and took Yamatos hand into his own. Yes, there was a chance that what happened last night could happen again and that he would find death in it but it was a risk worth taking. It was not just him on the line now, his family was still alive and waiting for him, he had to be strong for them. And there was Taichi, he could not protect his beloved brunette if he was too weak to move. If nothing happened while he fed good, if he was tortured it was nothing less than he deserved.

Ready to accept any fate Yamato took solace in Taichis optimistic presence and buried his fangs into the yielding flesh of the sleeping digimon. There was blood and pleasure and innocent flashes of the digimons past and nothing else, he was safe. In drinking Yamato had shut his eyes and now he opened them to find Tai smiling at him. There was something wrong in that smile though, its pride in Yamato was sincere but it seemed bittersweet, he had missed something again. Tai stood and offered a hand that Yamato accepted but obviously had no need of.

"Thanks" Yamato offered almost shyly before taking off into the forest. The blond held back enough for Tai to take the lead, they were almost there. Taichi stopped abruptly next to a large tree and held out his hand so that Yamato would not continue to run.

"We are here."

"I don't feel them."

"Good, that's kind of the point, no one can feel them." Taichi smiled, a happy smile this time, and walked straight into the tree. Yamato thought it would be ridiculously funny if Tai had picked the wrong tree and walked straight into the hard wood but probably for the better Tais memory served him well and he disappeared into the seemingly solid bark. Yamato dove in after him and found that the forest they were staring at a few seconds before gone and a little house stood in its place.

"Tk, I can feel Tk! I can feel all of them!" Yamato did not try to contain his joy, he ran into the little building and into the room he knew held his friends. He didn't stop until he stood in the doorway and he only did so then to keep from scaring the others.

"ONIICHAN!" Takerus bubbly voice filled the room as he ran into his brothers open arms. Yamato lifted the smaller child into his arms and swung him around in a circle before bringing him to rest on his chest, their blue eyes level with each other.

"Oh Tk, I'm so sorry I left you! Its been so long, too long. How's my little brother?"

Takeru crossed his little arms and pouted. "I'm not little! I took care of the group while you a Taichi were gone!"

"Did you now?" Takeru nodded. "Well in that case…" With a lot of effort Yamato set his brother down and took a step back. "I will need a full report of everything that happened and the condition of the group." Tk nodded and tried to stand at attention, his arms crossing behind his back.

"You left, Tai kept leaving and coming back, there was a fire and everyone is bored and ready to go!" Yamato stifled a laugh at his brothers' official tone.

"Didn't I say I'd bring him back?" Tai entered the room with a cocky grin on his face. Takeru abandoned his position as leader/reporter to bound across the room and give Taichi a hug.

Yamato bit his tongue and turned back to the digidestined, he didn't want to see Takeru replace him with Tai, and if it was going to happen he didn't have to see it. The others were all grinning at him with 'hellos' on their lips. He scanned each face in the room, no one had changed, Sora was fighting back her motherly urges, Mimi looked as if she wanted to hurtle herself across the room and catch Matt in a hug, Izzy was smiling thoughtfully, his laptop open on his lap, and Joe was obviously looking for injuries on Matt and Tai.

Several of the digimon were also in the room, Agumon had just slipped out and returned with Gennai and someone that made Yamatos breath catch, Gabumon. The digimon looked so much older than when Yamato had left.

"Gabumon." No one noticed Yamato or Gabumon, they were too involved in the discussion between Tai and Gennai going on across the room.

"Matt"

"How are you buddy?" Yamato tried to sound casual but his voice cracked ever so slightly.

"Its ok Yamato, I forgive you." Matt nodded and fought the tears that stung his eyes.

"Gabumon." He choked out and fell to his knees finding himself in a warm hug. Gabumon never asked for anything, he had been abandoned and forgotten, his power as a digidestined partner taken away from him and still he forgave everything without so much as an apology from Yamato.

Matt cleared his throat and pulled away. "You really got ripped off when it comes to partners hu?" Gabumon shook off the wavering attempt at humor.

"I am lucky to have you Yamato, I wouldn't switch partners for the entire world."

"Yamato. Gabumon." Gennai cleared his voice just over Matts shoulder to call their attention to him self. "I understand your need to speak to one another but it will have to wait just awhile longer, a course must be chosen now." Gennai turned away and let the two compose themselves before quieting the others and gently leading them to sit in a circle.

"So what do we do now?" Joe couldn't stand the silence any longer so he asked the question that was lingering on every last one of their tongues.

"Well we have to kill Myotismon. Everyday he is taking ore and more of the digital world." Tai said with a shrug. Gennai nodded in agreement.

"He must be stopped."

Yamato felt his heart restricting painfully. They would never be able to kill Myotismon, he would destroy them all for trying. Even if they did manage to kill the digimon that would mean that Taichi and him would be alone in their nature. Two of a kind with no history of what they are, no guidelines and then if Taichi left him he would have nothing.

"How can we stop him?" Yamatos voice was deeper than normal, his doubt and fear lying in his words as clear as day for all to see. "He is stronger than we are, we don't stand a chance."

Gennai looked as if he had something to say but thought better of it, waiting for Taichi to handle the situation. Just as Gennai had thought Tai walked to Yamatos side and looked into his troubled eyes.

"We will beat him because we have to, we are the digidestined, we were meant to kill him. His powers are nothing compared to ours, he stands alone, we have each other." Tai reached out and took Yamatos hand in his own and turned back to the group. "We will beat him."

And that was it, there was no plan, what was the point of having one when Myotismon could just take it from their thoughts and use it against them? They had a goal and they had each other for the first time in…in far too long. Gennai had decided that they should rest just one day, eat, pack, anything they felt they should do to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the battle ahead. The time between Yamato and Taichis arrival and the entire groups' departure was basically eventless save one conversation between the two vampire digidestined.

All of the others where asleep and had been for hours, they decided to travel and attack by day. The majority of the digidestined would be able to function better and maybe even have Myotismon at something of a disadvantage. It was in those supposedly peaceful hours that Taichi felt himself drawn to the cozy living room when he heard muttered curses and soft sniffs issuing from the room.

"Yama?" The blond boy stopped in his tracks, his back to Taichi, he couldn't have Tai see the weakness on his face. Not now, not before a fight.

"What's up?" Matt asked as he dug his fists into his eyes, willing the frustrated tears away before turning around.

"I heard you Yama; you don't have to pretend with me. Something is wrong." Tai sat down on the couch and motioned for Yamato to sit next to him. He was ignored of course and Yamato stopped his pacing altogether to gaze out the window, away from Taichi.

"Why does something always have to be wrong with me? Cant you just leave me alone or do you have some quota of people you have to 'save' for the day?" Yamato asked bitterly, he never meant to say those things, to be so cruel. But now that they were out there he wasn't going to take them back, maybe Taichi would let him be.

"Its Myotismon isn't it? Are you worried that we won't win?" Taichi abandoned his comfortable chair and spun Yamato around gently to face him. He was not going to take the bait and get mad, they could not risk a fight now.

"We could just give him me, everyone would be safe and happy. You guys could go on and save the rest of the digital world without me." Yamato knew his voice sounded weak and pleading but he couldn't help it. He needed a way out of this and time was running short, self sacrifice was his last chance.

"No." Tais voice was as firm as the hands that had come to grip Yamatos shoulders. "He can't be allowed to live, and we can not go on without you. I will not let you do anything stupid."

"We can't kill him…" Yamato whispered brokenly.

"We can kill him, together we can-"

"I can't kill him!" Yamato nearly shouted as he tore himself out of Taichis hold, his warmth. "I cant, I just can't…" Taichi shook his head disbelievingly, Yamato wasn't talking about physically not being able to kill him, he wasn't talking about strength.

"We have to! We have no choice! He is evil and could spell the end for all of us, the end of the digital world and our world!"

"I know, I know."

Yamato turned away again. He couldn't put it into words why the thought of killing Myotismon tortured him so, he was dark and evil, he deserved to die but Yamato just couldn't do it. He had felt companionship for Myotismon, they were the same, he had taken his dark life from Myotismon, he had fallen apart in Myotismons hands countless times only to be put back together with caring hands. It was different for the other digidestined to kill him. They didn't know that there was a personality behind the mask of pure unbridled evil, they didn't know him. They didn't know that Yamato was nothing if not a miniature of his dark master. They couldn't know his pain or his ecstasy, Taichi tried over and over to grasp it but how could he when he was still so pure?

"Yamato you have to promise you will fight with me. I need you." God, why couldn't this have happened ages ago? Back when they were human, when life was simple and all that mattered was Taichi? Before he had found a companion to wander the darkness with him?

Taichis eyes bore into him almost painfully, he looked into Taichis face, having no idea when he had turned back to the brunette, and knew that he loved Tai more than any other creature he would ever meet, more than life or happiness or sanity. In the same moment, the same gaze Yamato knew he would never like Myotismon, he would always loath him, his vampire father, he could not even qualify what he felt for Myotismon as love, it was as he had long known, completely beyond words or expression in any means.

"I promise" Taichi accepted the words because he needed to, just as Yamato had said them out of need. But as much as they felt true, as much desire as there was from both parties for it to be true, the words held no meaning.

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Hiya! Writers block is the bane of my existence, need I say more? Bah, humbug, however there is battle and melodrama and screaming and…well you get the point…ahead! Everyone who reviewed…I LOOOOOOOVE you. You make my screaming matches with my computer worth doing! Please review(because I love you!)! It will make Yama happy and maybe he will become more mentally stable…he certainly wasn't in this chapter!

Lots of love! medorikoi


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